Calendar of RNC Protest Events

["UFPJ Alerts" <listmaster at unitedforpeace.org>]

ACTION ALERT * UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
http://www.unitedforpeace.org | 212-868-5545
To subscribe, visit http://www.unitedforpeace.org/email
============================================

When the Republicans gather in New York City with their agenda of war,
greed, hate and lies there will be an extraordinary array of events to
greet them. The largest, we anticipate, will be our August 29 “World Says
No to the Bush Agenda” march  -- and we hope you all will be joining us for
this massive, legal, and permitted event.

We want to call your attention to a number of other important events taking
place, organized by member groups of United for Peace and Justice. We urge
you to participate in as many of these as possible through the week. (See
the list below.)

We also hope you will seriously consider taking part in the creative
nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience taking place on Tuesday,
August 31. There are two emerging scenarios that we believe will appeal to
members of UFPJ. One is a funeral march by the War Resisters League and the
other is a call for Building a World of True Security by a cluster of
grassroots groups. Both are explicit calls for creative action and
nonviolent civil disobedience. The calls to action are appended at the end
of this email.  There will be nonviolence trainings starting on Sat. August
28 through Tuesday morning; see the list at the bottom of this email.

For a more detailed calendar of RNC-related events, visit our website,
http://www.unitedforpeace.org

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Friday, August 20
BEYOND BUSH: A NIGHT OF VISIONARY RESISTANCE
7 pm Hunter Assembly Hall, 695 Park Ave @ 69th Street
An evening featuring some of the most inspiring dissident voices of our
generation – Naomi Klein, Robin D.G. Kelley, Vijay Prashad, and Michael
Albert.
http://www.lifeaftercapitalism.org/beyondbush.htm

Saturday, August 28
BOOKS NOT BOMBS YOUTH CONVERGENCE
9 am - 6 pm, St. Marks Church, 2nd Ave and 10th St.
Strategy discussions, issue workshops, skills trainings, banner making, and
more in an all-day youth and student gathering organized by the National
Youth and Student Peace Coalition
http://www.nyspc.net/

Saturday, August 28
HOW FAR TO THE RIGHT HAVE WE GONE?
2 - 4 pm CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Ave. and 34th St.
A Town Hall Meeting organized by Historians Against the War
Featuring Andrew Bacevich, Thomas Bender, Renate Bridenthal, and Ellen
Schrecker
http://www.historiansagainstwar.org/rnc.html

Saturday, August 28
WOMEN AGAINST WAR – AN EVENING OF MUSIC AND INSPIRATION
7 pm  The Riverside Church Nave, 490 Riverside Drive at 120th St.
Music and spoken word to celebrate women’s passion, creativity and strength
in saying no to war and yes to peace and justice!
Advance Tickets Only: $10. Call 1-800-838-3006 or visit
http://www.BrownPaperTickets.com/event/407

***************
Sunday, August 29
THE WORLD SAYS NO TO THE BUSH AGENDA!
Massive march past Madison Square Garden
Gather 10:00AM, Seventh Avenue @ 14th Street
March steps off at noon   http://www.unitedforpeace.org
***************

Monday, August 30
STILL WE RISE MARCH AND RALLY
1-6 pm  Union Square march up 8th Ave to 31st St.
Thousands of low-income New Yorkers will lead this march and rally,
focusing on issues of HIV/AIDS/Healthcare, Welfare Reform, Immigrant
Issues, Housing/Homelessness, and Criminal Justice Issues
http://www.stillwerise.org

Monday, August 30
MARCH FOR OUR LIVES: Stop the War at Home
4 pm Dag Hammerskjold Plaza at First Ave. and 47th St., followed by a march
to Madison Square Garden
Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign march for health care,
housing, education and living wage jobs.
http://www.marchforourlives.org

Tuesday, August 31
A DAY OF NONVIOLENT CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AND DIRECT ACTION
4:00 Decentralized actions at war profiteers and more.  6 pm Orientation at
Madison Sq. Park or on the Steps of New York Public Library, 5th Ave and
41st St.  7 pm converge at Madison Square Garden
Transform the streets of NYC into stages of resistance and forums for
debate through nonviolent action. Among the many groups calling for civil
disobedience on this day are the War Resisters League and the True Security
Cluster
http://www.warresisters.org/RNC_CD.htm and http://www.a31.org/truesecurity

Thursday, September 2
VIGIL FOR THE FALLEN: We Remember--He Lied--They Died
7 am to 7 pm  Union Square Park at 14th Street and Broadway
All welcome to join veterans, including some recently returned from Iraq,
Gold Star Parents and other Military Families, 9-11 Families and other
Concerned Citizens at a Vigil for the Fallen.  Programs with speakers and
music at 12 noon and 5 pm.
Sponsored by Veterans For Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Military
Families Speak Out, Vietnam Veterans Against the War,
Veterans Against the Iraq War, Bring Them Home Now!
Call 718-805-6341, 201-876-0430 or visit http:/www.veteransforpeace.org

***************************************

A Call for Nonviolent Creative Action and Civil Disobedience at the RNC on
August 31, 2004
 http://www.a31.org/truesecurity

Herald a World of True Security
Say No to Bush’s Endless War and Homeland InSecurity!

Hope not Fear, Truth not Lies, Peace not War, Love not Hate, Democracy not
Empire!

We’ve petitioned, vigiled, marched and cried out.  If you are ready to take
another step, now is the time; New York is the place. On August 31, we will
come together en masse in Herald Square near Madison Square Garden to
withdraw our consent from Bush’s global reign of terror, and counterpose
our vision of liberty and justice for all. We reject fear as a form of
social control and embrace truth in its place.  We will claim a space in
which to create our vision of real security and true democracy, in direct
contrast to the war-mongering and empire building of the Republican
National Convention.  We will occupy this space nonviolently with our
bodies, our courage, our wild creativity, our untamed spirit and solidarity.

If the police attempt to move us, we will refuse to go. Those who choose to
will sit down and claim our right to peacefully assemble in the name of
democracy, justice, liberty, freedom, for the good green earth and for the
future of our children.   We will hold this space of alternative vision and
transformation.  We will not cooperate; we will not be violent, and we will
not leave.  We will act in the rich tradition of social movements before us
that have used nonviolent resistance to challenge injustice.

Real security is found in the things that sustain life, not weapons that
destroy life.  Real security is food, water, land, health care, education,
housing, meaningful work, a sustainable environment, liberty and dignity.
In the name of keeping us safe from terrorism, Bush is destroying every
aspect of real security.

We say NO  to the culture of torture and fear. NO to empires, military
madness, illegitimate governments and stolen elections.  NO to Abu Ghraib,
Guantanamo, and the occupations of Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti and Palestine.
NO to environmental destruction and mindless consumerism.  We say NO to the
criminalization of dissent, the Patriot Act, the imprisonment of people of
color and the racist system that divides us all.  We say NO to the
Republican National Convention – its pomp, its glitz, its lies and its
veneer of democracy.

We say YES to a world where all people can live with dignity, respect, and
freedom.  YES to all that feeds our soul and makes us feel alive. YES to
real democracy that goes beyond voting. YES to community spaces that embody
our vision of security, love, peace, beauty, justice, abundance and freedom.

We invite you to join together with thousands of others who know that
voting is not enough.  The choice before us is not just about Kerry or
Bush.  The choice is about what kind of future we will have and what we
will do to create it.

Dissent is Not Terrorism!  Repression is Not Security!


Tuesday, August 31 True Security Cluster Action Plan:

9:30–11:30     NVDA Action Prep Session, location to be announced

Noon               Demonstrate at the New York State Office of Homeland
Security,   633 3rd Ave.  We will engage in a powerful street theater
action wearing hoods to dramatize US polices from Abu Ghraib to Guantanamo
to the US prison system to the streets of New York.  There is no permit for
this demonstration but we will engage in legal sidewalk protest.


6:00 pm            Orientation for unaffiliated groups and individuals will
begin on the steps of the New York Public Library,  42nd St and 5th Ave.
one of the two orientation sites established by the A31 Action Coalition
which is coordinating direct action for the entire day.

7:00 pm            Create a World of True Security, converge at Herald
Square, 34th and 6th Ave at Broadway.  We will gather and construct a model
of a world of real security and true democracy.  We ask affinity groups to
bring things that show what true security means to you (seed ideas below).
We want to create a world in the streets where everyone has the healthy
food and good clean water they need. Where art and music heal our wounds.
Where jobs are secure and children are cared for. A world where beauty,
balance, abundance and delight fill our lives.

Your affinity group might choose to offer food or water or paint the
street.  Maybe you will offer healing, play music or sing a song. Maybe you
tell a story or engage in discussions about actions around the elections or
organize a puppet pageant about what we do to move beyond voting.

If the police prevent us from creating this world or attempt to remove us,
those who choose to will refuse to cooperate, sitting down and nonviolently
holding our space, risking arrest if necessary.

The True Security Call is initiated by the Green Bloc, the Pagan Cluster
and the Save Our Civil Liberties Campaign.  It is being organized within
the framework and in solidarity with the August 31 Action Coalition Call
for the Shout Heard Round the World!

To endorse to call or get involved contact:  truesecurity at hotmail.com



A CALL FOR MASS NONVIOLENCE CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AT THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL
CONVENTION
TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2004
http://www.warresisters.org/RNC_CD.htm

Our aim is to confront the administration with the death and suffering for
which they are responsible: more than 10,000 Iraqis and Afghanis, as many
as 1,000 Americans killed, thousands more wounded and scarred for life, as
well as the economic victims of Bush policies — the unemployed, the
uninsured, the undereducated. The Republicans have chosen to hold their
convention in New York City to link George Bush and “Ground Zero.” Bush’s
policies have created “ground zeros” of death and suffering throughout the
world and we hold him accountable for that. Nonviolent direct action seeks
to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which
has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It
seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored.

The Scenario. We encourage people to dress in white (representing mourning)
to gather on Aug. 31, 2004, 3 pm at the site of the World Trade Center
(west side of Church St. at Cortlandt St., near the “Cortlandt St.” stop on
the R train) for a vigil. At 4 PM we will walk in a solemn procession north
toward the Republican National Convention at Madison Square Garden. Those
who cannot walk the entire distance are asked to join us at 5:30 pm at
Union Square (NW corner, 17th St. & Broadway) for the last leg of the
procession. By 7 PM we will reach Madison Square Garden and, when stopped,
we will “die-in” as a way to graphically represent all those who have been
killed by the government’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Though this nonviolent die-in may result in our arrest and may block or
inconvenience Republican delegates and others, we think this is a small
price to pay to dramatize and call attention to the enormous horrors
inflicted on the world by the U.S. government. The Bush administration must
be held accountable.
Visit http://www.warresisters.org to see a detailed map of the route of the
solemn procession to the nonviolent civil disobedience die-in at Madison
Square Garden.
Map of Madison Square Garden Vicinity.

Nonviolence Guidelines. For the purpose of building trust and a common
foundation for safety, and ensure that we act in the spirit of nonviolence,
participants in the action agree to the following:
Our attitude will be one of openness and respect toward people we encounter.
We will not use physical violence or verbal abuse toward any person.
We will not damage any property.
We will not bring or use any alcohol or drugs other than for medical purposes.
We will not carry weapons.
Call to Action Flyer for CD. Click on the image at the right to download an
Acrobat PDF flyer encouraging people to join our procession and die-in on
August 31.
Nonviolence Training. We are planning nonviolence training sessions for
those interested in participating in the civil disobedience. The schedule
will include the following training sessions at Westbeth (Community Room),
55 Bethune (between West & Washington Sts.), one block south of W. 12th St.
in Greenwich Village:
Saturday, Aug. 28, 10 am to 2 pm (a more detailed discussion of nonviolent
direct action for those who have done civil disobedience before)
Tuesday, Aug. 31, 10 am to noon (a quick session for those more familiar
with civil disobedience).
Information Clearinghouse. For the latest information about the civil
disobedience and other RNC actions, come to the WRL building at 339
Lafayette St. (at Bleecker St.) in Manhattan during the following times:
Friday, Aug. 27, 6 pm to 8:30 pm
Saturday, Aug. 28, 11 am to 6 pm
Tuesday, Aug. 31, 10 am to 2 pm
In addition, we will have an information table at the “Festival of
Nonviolence” (sponsored by the Green Party) in Washington Square Park, Aug.
28, noon to 6 pm.
August 31 Actions. This NYC WRL-sponsored action is part of a day of civil
disobedience called by the A31 Action Coalition. There will be many other
affinity groups from across the country — some independent, some affiliated
with other organizations — participating at the same times, for a mass
convergence on Madison Square Garden that evening. We are active
participants in the spokescouncil meetings described on the A31 website.
Among the other organizations organizing actions around the Republican
Convention are United for Peace and Justice, CounterConvention, and RNC Not
Welcome.

Mini-Poster. In an effort to counter establishment propaganda about the
possibility of “violent demonstrations” during the RNC, this 8.5" x 11"
flyer designed to posted around Manhattan. To download it, visit
http://www.warresisters.org -- lease distribute as widely as possible.
Participating Organizations. This component of the day of civil
disobedience is being organized or endorsed by War Resisters League,
Socialist Party of NYC, Schools of Americas Watch, Atlantic Life Community,
Progressive Programmers League, The Mourning Project, Pax Christi, NYC War
Tax Resistance, Veterans for Peace, among others. Believing war to be a
crime against humanity, the War Resisters League, founded in 1923,
advocates Gandhian nonviolence as the method for creating a democratic
society free of war, racism, sexism, and human exploitation.
Next Meeting. Thursday, August 26, 7 pm, 339 Lafayette St. (Bleecker St.)
in Manhattan.

J O I N  U S
For more information or how to participate in this action, please e-mail
nycwrl at att.net or call 718-768-7306. If you haven’t contacted us before,
please give us your name, e-mail address, telephone number, where you’re
from, and what previous experience (if any) you have had with nonviolent
direct action.


SCHEDULE OF TRAININGS

Sat.  9/28, 9:30 – Noon
A31 Nonviolent Direct Action Prep, St. Marks Church, Yard, 2nd Ave and 10th
St.   Trainings will cover scenario information and participatory exercises
focused on staying calm, de-escalation, street safety, mobile tactics,
blockades, jail solidarity and trauma and aftercare. Contact RANT –
802-999-5275

Sat.  9/28, 10 – 2 pm
Nonviolent Civil Disobedience Training, Westbeth Community Room, 55 Bethune
St, enter on Bank St through Courtyard.  Tools to prepare us to act using a
variety of techniques that will increase communication, understanding of
power, exploring hopes and fears and exercises to practices nonviolent
techniques.
Contact War Resisters League at 718-768-7306.

Mon 9/30, 9:30 – Noon
Nonviolent Direct Action Preparation, St. Marks Church, Yard  2nd Ave and
10th St.   Trainings will cover scenario information and participatory
exercises focused on staying calm, descalation, street safety, mobile
tactics, blockades, jail solidarity and aftercare. Contact RANT –
802-999-5275

Mon. 9/30, 6-8 pm
Direct Action Training,  94 9th St. (between Smith St and 2nd Ave) in
Brooklyn.  Opportunity to explore different techniques for street safety,
descalation, and more.  Contact A31 trainings group, 206-333-6448

Tues 9/30,  9:30 – Noon
Nonviolent Direct Action Preparation, St. Marks Church, Yard  2nd Ave and
10th St.   Trainings will cover scenario information and participatory
exercises focused on staying calm, descalation, street safety, mobile
tactics, blockades, jail solidarity and aftercare.  Contact RANT –
802-999-5275

Tues.  9/30, 10 – 2 pm
Nonviolent Civil Disobedience Re-fresher!   Westbeth Community Room, 55
Bethune St, enter on Bank St through Courtyard.  Tools to prepare us to act
using a variety of techniques that will increase communication,
understanding of power, exploring hopes and fears and exercises to
practices nonviolent techniques. Contact War Resisters League at
718-768-7306.


============================================
AUGUST 29, THE WORLD SAYS NO TO THE BUSH AGENDA!
Massive Protest at the Republican National Convention, New York City
* Assemble at 10:00AM, Seventh Avenue @ 14th Street
* March steps off at noon
============================================
Visit the RNC mobilizing section of our website for resources and to
endorse the August 29 demonstration:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/rnc
============================================
We need your financial support to make the August 29 protest a success:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/donate
============================================
To receive email updates on the August 29 RNC protest, visit:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/email
============================================
ACTION ALERT * UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
http://www.unitedforpeace.org | 212-868-5545
To subscribe, visit http://www.unitedforpeace.org/email
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