Hands Off Syria - Take action against U.S. intervention!
Call to Action for actions the day of/after U.S. military action begins
August 27, 2013
The Iraq war took far over 1 million Iraqi
lives. Now the U.S. government is using essentially the same rationale
to attack Syria.
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Make plans now to hold a demonstration in your city on the day of or the day after U.S. military action begins. See a list of demonstrations around the country and fill out our Event Listing form so we can help spread the word!
Despite the fact that an overwhelming majority of the American people are clearly opposed to U.S. intervention, the signs all point to war. In a recent Reuters poll, only 9 percent favored direct U.S. military intervention, and 89 percent opposed arming the Syrian opposition. But the tiny elite clique who really run the country are completely discounting the will of the people, making a mockery of their so-called “democracy.”
The U.S. 6th Fleet has deployed war ships to the eastern Mediterranean and is threatening to launch missile and air strikes against Syria. Not only are the White House and Pentagon openly threatening direct intervention, they are also moving to further arm the Syrian opposition. A U.S./NATO attack on Syria could well lead to a wider, regional war with grave and unpredictable consequences.
A staged provocation: a pretext for war
The pretext for attacking Syria is the allegation that the Syrian government used chemical weapons last week in the suburbs of the capital, Damascus, just after a UN team had arrived in the country to investigate an earlier alleged use of chemical weapons. President Obama declared over a year ago that the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government would cross a “red line,” triggering U.S. military action.
The idea that the Syrian government would launch a chemical weapons attack exactly at the moment when the UN team was in the country investigating chemical weapons defies all logic.
In a sign of their total disregard for the truth, the United States government has declared, in advance of any actual investigation, that the Syrian government is guilty of using chemical weapons. U.S. officials have stated that the United Nations weapons inspection team, which is today at the site near Damascus where hundreds of people died last week, is “too late.” In other words, the United States, along with Britain and France – the former colonizers of the region – have decided to use chemical weapons as an excuse to go to war.
We must remember the Iraq War in 2003, where “overwhelming evidence of weapons of mass destruction” was used as the pretext for a war that killed hundreds of thousands and tore Iraq apart. No such weapons were ever found.
If in fact chemical weapons were used in Syria last week, the far greater likelihood is that it was a staged provocation by the opposition to invite U.S./NATO intervention in order to save their weakening military position in the conflict. We have no reason to trust the U.S. government’s version of what happened. This is the same government that has routinely lied and deceived the American people on many issues, as was recently revealed by Edward Snowden’s leaks related to NSA spying.
U.S. foreign policy is not one of benign humanitarian concern, but one of Empire. Washington’s goal is control of the entire oil-rich and strategic Middle East region. To achieve this aim, U.S. leaders – Democrats and Republicans alike – have worked to destroy independent governments and popular movements in the region for more than six decades.
For the people of the United States, fighting against a U.S. intervention in Syria is of paramount importance to prevent the spread of war and destruction. The ANSWER Coalition is calling on all those opposed to this brutal war drive to take action against any U.S. attack on Syria! A broad coalition of organizations worked together in June and July 2013 for days of action opposing the U.S. role in Syria. We expect that the actions in the coming days and weeks will be of a similar unified character.
Plan a demonstration in your city on the day of or the day after U.S. military action begins. Fill out our Event Listing form so we can help spread the word!
Initial list of actions:
ALABAMA
Huntsville, AL
Saturday, August 31
Corner of Whitesburg Drive and Airport Road
Initiated by Occupy Huntsville
Contact: annnonm@gmail.com
CALIFORNIA
Costa Mesa, CA
Day of
Gather from 5:00PM - 7:00PM
at 3300 Bristol
Initiated by Orange County Peace & Freedom Party
Contact: 714-956-5037
Los Angeles, CA
Day of
Gather at 5:30PM
at LA City Hall (West Steps): 200 N. Spring St.
Contact ANSWER in LA at 323-394-3611 or answerla@answerla.org
Sacramento, CA
Day after
Gather at 5:30PM
in front of the Sacramento Federal Building
at the corner of 5th and I Sts. in downtown
Contact ANSWER in Sacramento at sac@answercoalition.org
San Francisco, CA
Day of or day after depending on the time
Gather at 5:00PM (weekday) or 12:00PM (weekend)
at Powell & Market Sts.
Contact ANSWER in SF at 415-821-6545 or answer@answersf.org
San Francisco, CA
Thursday, August 29
Gather at 5:00PM
at Powell & Market Sts.
Contact ANSWER in SF at 415-821-6545 or answer@answersf.org
Santa Cruz, CA
Saturday, August 31
Gather at 11:00AM
at Ocean and Water Streets
Initiated by Peace and Freedom Party Santa Cruz, ANSWER Coaliton, and others.
Contact 831-688-8692 or 831-334-3368
COLORADO
Colorado Springs, CO
Sunday, September 1
Gather at 6:00PM
at Acacia Park, 201 N. Tejon St.
Initiated by Occupy Colorado Springs
Contact 719-243-5238 or 719-460-2836
CONNECTICUT
New Haven, CT
Day of - if before 12 noon / Day after - if after 12 noon
Gather at 5:30PM
at 141 Church St.
Contact ANSWER in New Haven at 203-903-4480 or ct@answercoalition.org
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIANew Haven, CT
Day of - if before 12 noon / Day after - if after 12 noon
Gather at 5:30PM
at 141 Church St.
Contact ANSWER in New Haven at 203-903-4480 or ct@answercoalition.org
Washington, D.C.
Thursday, August 29
Gather at 6:30PM
at the White House
Initiated by the ANSWER Coalition
Contact ANSWER in DC at 202-265-1948 or dc@answercoalition.org
FLORIDA
Miami, FLThursday, August 29
Gather at 6:00PM
at Torch of Friendship
Biscayne Blvd. between N.E. 3rd & 4th streets
Initiated by POWIR, Veterans for Peace
Join the Facebook event
Saint Petersburg/Tampa, FL
Saturday, August 31
Gather at 6:00PM
at Gandy Blvd. and Dale Mabry Hwy.
Near MacDill AFB (CENTCOM), Tampa, FL
Initiated by St. Pete for Peace
Contact http://stpeteforpeace.org
Join the Facebook event
Tallahassee, FL
Thursday, August 28
Gather at 4:00PM
in front of the Old Capitol, 400 S Monroe St
Initiated by Tallahassee ANSWER Coalition and Tallahassee Veterans for Peace
Contact tallahassee@answercoalition.org
ILLINOIS
Chicago, IL
Day of if before 12 noon / Day after if after 12 noon
Gather at 5:00PM
at Federal Plaza
The ANSWER Coalition is initiating this action with partners, including the Anti-war Committee - Chicago and the Albany Park, North Park, Mayfair Neighbors for Peace and Justice
Contact ANSWER in Chicago at 773-463-0311 or answer@chicagoanswer.net
Chicago, IL
Thursday, August 29
Gather at 5:00PM
at Federal Plaza
The ANSWER Coalition is participating in this action.
Contact ANSWER in Chicago at 773-463-0311 or answer@chicagoanswer.net
INDIANA
Indianapolis, IN
Friday, August 30
Gather at 7:00PM
at High steps of Monument Circle
Initiated by Indianapolis Peace and Justice Center
Contact carlrisingmoore@gmail.com
LOUISIANA
New Orleans, LA
Saturday, August 31
Gather at 2:00PM
at Washington Square, 500 Elysian Fields Avenue
Contact aiglefort@hotmail.com
MASSACHUSETTS
Boston, MA
Saturday, August 31
Rally at 1:00 PM
Park St. T station Entrance - Park & Tremont Streets
Initiated by United for Justice with Peace and supported by ANSWER Boston
Contact ANSWER in Boston at 857-334-5084 or boston@answercoalition.org
Boston, MA
Day of - if before 12 noon / Day after - if after 12 noon
Gather at 5:00 PM
Park St. T station Entrance - Park & Tremont Streets
Initiated by United for Justice with Peace and supported by ANSWER Boston
Contact ANSWER in Boston at 857-334-5084 or boston@answercoalition.org
OHIO
Columbus, OH
Sunday, September 1
Gather at 5:00PM
at 15th and High Streets at the Main Entrance of the OSU Columbus Campus
Initiated by Sunday Night Peace Action Group
Contact markstansbery@gmail.com or cmhammond11@att.net
NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque, NM
Day of
Gather at 5:00 PM
at UNM Bookstore (Central & Cornell)
Initiated by the ANSWER Coalition
Contact ANSWER in Albuquerque at 505-268-2488 or abq@answercoalition.org
NEW YORK
New York City, NY
Thursday, Aug. 29
Gather at 6:00PM
at Times Square, 43rd Street and 7th Ave
Contact ANSWER in NYC at 212-694-8720 or nyc@answercoalition.org
Rochester, NY
Thursday, August 29
Gather at 7:00PM
at the Liberty Pole, corner of Main St and East Ave
Contact 585-943-8148
Syracuse, NY
Friday, August 30
Gather at 12:30PM
at Syracuse University main quad
Initiated by Youth and Student ANSWER Coalition - SU chapter
Contact syracuse@answercoalition.org
NORTH CAROLINA
Asheville, NC
Thursday, September 12
Gather at 4:00PM
at Vance monument
Contact asheville@defendwomensrights.org
PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia, PA
Day after
Gather at 4:30PM
on the Northwest corner of 15th and Market Sts.
Co-sponsored by the ANSWER Coalition and Philly Against War
Contact ANSWER in Philly at 267-281-3859 or philly@answercoalition.org
SOUTH CAROLINA
Hilton Head, SC
Day after
Gather at 4:00 PM
at Rt. 278 & Beach City Rd. (park in HH Library lot)
Initiated by Hilton Head for Peace
Contact fintaylor@hargray.com
TENNESSEE
Nashville, TN
Friday, August 30
Gather at 4:00PM
at 3322 West End Avenue
Initiated by Nashville Veterans for Peace and Nashville Peace Coalition
Join the Facebook event
TEXAS
Austin, TX
Thursday, August 29
Gather at 5:00PM
at West side of the state Capitol building emptying into Congress Avenue at 11th Street
Initiated by Occupy Austin
Contact 504-239-2764
VERMONT
Burlington, VT
Day of or day after depending on the time
Gather at 6:00PM
at top of Church St. by Unitarian Church
Initiated by Ad Hoc Committee Against US War in Middle East
Contact ronj1955@gmail.com
VIRGINIA
Richmond, VA
Day of
Gather at 5:00PM
at Richmond Federal Courthouse
Initiated by the Defenders For Justice and Equality
Join the Facebook event
WASHINGTON
Seattle, WA
Day after attack
Gather at 5:00PM
at Westlake and Pine
Initiated by the ANSWER Coalition
Contact 206-568-1661 to confirm
WISCONSIN
Jefferson, WI
Thursday, August 29
Gather at 6:00PM
at State Street side of the Capitol
(Lady Forward at corner of State Street and Mifflin Street)
Initiated by the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice and others.
Contact 608-250-9240 or diane@wnpj.org
Join the Facebook event
Milwaukee, WI
Saturday, August 31
Gather at 12:00PM
at the intersection of Water Street and Wisconsin Ave
Initiated by Peace Action Wisconsin
Contact 414-964-5158 or website@peaceactionwi.org
What you can do
Have you interviewed George Galloway yet. You should. He made a great speech in the British Parliament opposing British participation in war-criminal-in-chief Obama's proposed plan to bomb Syria.
ReplyDeleteCindy, It's the media's lack of coverage regarding your antiwar message and this administration's war mongering that frustrates your critics. You were all over the news during the Bush administration because you fit the liberal media agenda. Not so much now.
ReplyDelete