July 25, 2018
Cindy Sheehan, the co-ordinator of the Women's March on the Pentagon opened the call and welcomed everyone and explained the process.
Bonnie, co-coordinator then talked about the trip to the Pentagon last week where six WMOP delegates went to there to begin the permit process
Bonnie also shared with the group that the officer who met with us has ignored emails from our DC Co-ordinator, Malachy Kilbride, to email us a copy of the application for the permit.
We are marching no matter what---permit, or no permit---rain or shine. This is the beginning of a new movement to resist US Imperialism in a very internationalist way.
Bonnie, Paula and Scott of our Art Committee talked about several ideas for visuals for the march and for an art contest that Scott wants to arrange.
Cindy then talked about church space for overnighting in DC and her recent trips to DC to meet with the American Postal Workers Union and some local organizers and then to Chicago for a meetup with FURIE and other local anti-imperialist forces.
Jessica from FURIE and from the Steering Committee for WMOP filled in some more blanks on the Chicago visit and groups that came to try and re-energize anti-war/anti-imperialist feelings in Chicago.
Next Community Conference Call will be August 29
Mark your calendars for two CCC's in September:
September 12th and 26; and one more in October:
October 10
Cindy shared Occupy the War Machine
(Oct 22-Nov 10)
DETAILS HERE
Occupy the War Machine
Women’s March on the Pentagon
Proposal
It has long been the intention of WMOP to bridge the gap between the WMOP on Oct 21st and the events scheduled for November 11th by an event we were calling “Occupy the Pentagon.” (OTP)
Recently organizers of WMOP have spent time doing recon at the Pentagon, and an OTP event won’t have much visibility or impact because there is only one place we can gather and that would be in the so-called “Free Speech Zone” which is only visible from one of the vast parking lots that surround the structure.
After much thought, we have come up with an idea called, “Occupy the War Machine,” which would put WMOP activists into Metro Washington DC, which is about 90% War Machine. Each day after our 10/21 march and rally at the Pentagon, we would call for activists to meet us at a predetermined place within the Belly of the Beast to protest and raise awareness of the true costs of war.
Some ideas for meeting places on those days off the top of our heads: The White House; Capitol Hill; FBI; World Bank; The Federal Reserve; AIPAC; Raytheon; DynCorp; Council on Foreign Relations; Israeli Embassy; FBI, Embassy of Saudi Arabia. (maybe we could have solidarity vigils at some Embassies of countries who are also trying to resist US Imperialism in a show of support).
At each place, each day, (no permits needed for public sidewalks) we would call people to do the normal stuff we do at protests, but especially distribute information to passers-by.
WMOP would provide info and messaging for each day’s location, and a standard “Occupy the War Machine” sign
would be visible.
We will also begin (10/22) and end (11/10) our Occupy the War Machine protests with vigils at the Pentagon.
Our plan is to launch Occupy the War Machine (a subsidiary of Women’s March on the Pentagon) by August 1st at the latest.
Also, we were hoping by now that the veteran’s groups and other groups sponsoring the events of 11/11 would have joined us in bridging that gap and organizing for it. At this time we have had no offers to do so. Once this proposal is accepted, we will use it to do outreach.
Submitted by
Cindy Sheehan
Bonnie Caracciolo
Women’s March on the Pentagon
July 18, 2018
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