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500,000+ Say No to the Bush Agenda at NYC March!
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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Dear friend:
Yesterday’s “World Says No to the Bush Agenda” march past the site of the
Republican Convention was an extraordinary success: the largest protest
ever held at a political convention, and one of the biggest protests in New
York City history. By our estimate – which, according to the New York
Times, even the NYPD command center confirmed – at least a half a million
people poured into the streets of New York City to raise their voices
against the policies of the Bush Administration. The crowd was not only
huge but diverse, representing a vast array of communities and
constituencies around the country.
We want to thank everyone who contributed time, energy, and resources to
this event – together, we have issued a powerful call for change at a
crucial time in this country’s history!
We still need your help. A protest on this scale is very expensive to
organize – we have needed money for everything from extra staff to extra
bullhorns. Please make the most generous contribution you can today to help
cover the costs of the event. You can donate in one of three convenient
ways:
* donate by credit card online at http://www.unitedforpeace.org/donate
* donate by credit card by calling us at 212-868-5545
* mail a check or money order to UFPJ, P.O. Box 607, Times Square Station,
NY NY 10108
There are many more important and dynamic protest events planned for
throughout the whole week of the Republican Convention. We encourage you to
attend as many as possible -- visit http://www.unitedforpeace.org for more
information.
Our press release about yesterday’s protest is below; we’ll be sending out
more updates and information soon.
Thanks so much for your support!
In solidarity,
United for Peace and Justice
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UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE | www.unitedforpeace.org
Contact:
Bill Dobbs, United for Peace and Justice, 212.868.5545
For immediate release
MORE THAN 500,000 SAY NO TO THE BUSH AGENDA AT NYC MARCH
August 29, New York, NY -- In the largest protest ever held during a
political convention, more than 500,000 people from all over the United
States marched past Madison Square Garden, site of the Republican National
Convention, to express their opposition to the Bush agenda and the war
against Iraq. "This march brought together people from every sector of
society and every possible background, because we all understood that we
had to shine a spotlight on the issues that the Republicans won't bring to
the stage at their convention - the ongoing chaos and violence in Iraq, the
unprecedented roll-back of environmental protections, the assault on a
woman's right to choose and so many other issues that Americans deeply care
about," said Leslie Cagan, national coordinator of United for Peace and
Justice, the national anti-war coalition that organized the march.
Film maker Michael Moore, Rev. Jesse Jackson, actors Rosie Perez, Marissa
Tomei, and Danny Glover, musician Steve Earle, Congressman Charles Rangel
and playwright Eve Ensler headed up the march along with Iraq war veterans,
military families, September 11th families, and religious and community
leaders. So many people participated that it took nearly six hours until
marchers finished at Union Square.
After the march ended, thousands of people went to Central Park's Great
Lawn, where Republican New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg had denied a permit
to hold a rally. The atmosphere at the park was festive and peaceful.
Despite a huge police presence during the march, there were few conflicts
between the police and marchers. Later in the afternoon, however, about a
hundred people were arrested during a separate protest of Republican
delegates in Times Square.
The Iraq war and occupation was a main theme of the chants and signs that
were held by marchers. Hundreds of marchers carried coffins draped with
American flags to represent the nearly 1,000 U.S. soldiers who have been
killed since the war began in March 2003. Military families, some of whom
lost sons and daughters in the war, marched holding up pictures of their
loved ones as they called for an immediate end to the occupation.
Fifty other cities and towns in the U.S. also held rallies to protest the
Bush agenda during the Republican National Convention -- from San Diego, CA
to Chicago, IL to Orlando, FL.
United for Peace and Justice is a non-partisan coalition with more than 800
groups under its umbrella. Since its founding in October 2002, UFPJ has
spurred hundreds of protests and rallies around the country, including the
two largest demonstrations in the U.S. against the Iraq war.
-30-
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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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