Call for Actions of Protest and Resistance
On October 7, 2001, U.S. bombs began dropping on Afghanistan, killing thousands of civilians and destroying countless homes, villages and neighborhoods. This signaled the beginning of a U.S. "war on the world," which now includes military actions and interventions across the globe, a declared war that George Bush says may last "a generation" (with Iraq in the immediate cross-hairs), and a "pre-emptive" first-strike war policy including possible use of nuclear weapons. In the U.S., detentions and roundups of Muslim, Arab and South Asian immigrants continue, and civil liberties are stripped away almost daily.
In response to these atrocities, the Not in Our Name Project calls for actions of protest and resistance to mark the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the bombing.
On Sunday, Oct. 6, the day before the anniversary of the bombing of Afghanistan, mass actions will be held in major cities, bringing together tens of thousands of people who together will take the Not in Our Name Pledge of Resistance. They will declare their opposition to the government's course and pledge to resist - and stop - this war on the world, the detentions and roundups of immigrants and the escalating police state restrictions in this country. The events will send a message to the people of the world that George Bush does not speak or act for all the American people.
There will also be local events in cities and communities for those not able to travel to regional actions on that day.
We envision: Community groups and unions traveling together to the event. Religious congregations holding interfaith services beforehand. Feeder marches from neighborhoods converging at a central location. Artistic expressions of protest, flags with the globe, puppets and other creative forms, and the determination of youth for a better world.
Then on Monday, Oct. 7, the Pledge of Resistance can be further spread in actions at government buildings and other appropriate locations, on campuses, and in the streets; faxed, mailed, phoned and emailed to government officials (local, state and national) and to media outlets.
This multilayered display of protest and resistance on Oct. 6 and 7 intends to bring together people from all sections of society to resist - and build strength to stop - the direction of the U.S. government. We work to establish common purpose to seek peace for our planet and a diverse expression of that desire on the anniversary of the bombing of Afghanistan.
We make this call in the spirit of the Not in Our Name Pledge of Resistance that begins: "We believe that as people living in the United States, It is our responsibility to resist the injustices Done by our government, in our names."
September 11
In addition, many organizations and coalitions are coming together to make plans to raise an alternate voice to the drums of war on the one-year anniversary of September 11. This is sure to be a time when the government will cynically try to manipulate grief to justify its war moves and stifle dissent even more. Everyone should support these 9-11 activities and help plan and build for them. In the days before 9-11, mass canvassing could go on by many different organizations with their own literature, all working together to get out the truth and distributing massive numbers of symbols of the globe. Imagine the impact if the globe were displayed in tens of thousands of windows, flown from flagpoles and car antennas, and worn as buttons across the country to express solidarity with people worldwide.
A Month of Activity
The month between September 11 and October 7 could be filled with many different kinds of events and actions sponsored by different organizations, all of which could be listed in a common calendar. Campuses could be filled with debates and protests. Important anti-globalization actions have been called for Washington, D.C. at the end of September. And we should all be prepared to respond to major escalations.
We encourage individuals, organizations and coalitions to come together and figure out how to make all this happen - how to work in ways that will strengthen and expand the existing movement and build the kind of movement of resistance that can stop the horrors the U.S. government is unleashing on the world, in our name.
We must all of us, together, dare to change the course of history.
Everyone's input and participation is welcome and necessary. Please send your ideas and comments to notinrname@hotmail.com.
New York City Actions
Currently planned action locations include:
New York City - nycnotinourname@yahoo.com
For organizing and travel information for NYC event from other cities: Connecticut - nionewhaven@aol.com
Boston, MA - peace@texnology.com
Cleveland, OH - no_more_war_us@yahoo.com
San Francisco Bay Area - bayareapledge@yahoo.com
Los Angeles/Southern California - lanotinourname@hotmail.com
Seattle, WA - seattle_notinourname@speedymail.org; telephone 206-984-6256
Kickapoo Region, WI - telephone 608-624-3800
For information about other locations, watch this site or email notinrname@hotmail.com. To endorse this general call, email notinrname@hotmail.com.
"Let us make this splendid pledge with all of our hearts. But let us
also back our words with our bodies, with direct action - indeed with nonviolent resistance. Because the psychopaths in power wrap themselves in the flag and hide behind the law as they terrorize people everywhere. For we must say "NO!" to their criminality for our faith and sanity, for the children and innocent, for sisters and brothers globally."
--- Statement from Plowshares Activist Philip Berrigan for June 6 Pledge Kick-off Events
Acts of Resistance | The New Normalcy | R&R Main Page
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