[Peace-discuss] Fwd:[ANSWER] 50+ cities holding EMERGENCY IRAQ PROTESTS

[jencart]

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50+ U.S. CITIES HOLDING EMERGENCY IRAQ PROTESTS
& new cities are announcing their plans by the hour!

-please post widely-

The Iraqi people are uniting in widespread opposition to 
the occupation of their country and the U.S. government is  attempting to crush this revolt with overwhelming 
violence. The Iraqi city of Fallujah is under siege. 
According to the director of the city's hospital, at least  280 Iraqi people have been killed since Sunday in Fallujah  alone - and at least 460 have been killed throughout the 
country. The number of injured in Fallujah has surpassed  400, and hospitals report that there are many more people  who are dead or wounded but who are unreachable because of  the fighting. U.S. helicopters and snipers have been 
firing on ambulances and civilian vehicles trying to bring  the wounded to hospitals. The Iraqi people want the U.S.  occupation to end and the U.S. troops and their families 
increasingly demand that the U.S. leave Iraq. More than 40  U.S. soldiers have been killed since Sunday, and now 
Pentagon and White House officials are saying they may 
increase the number of troops in Iraq as well as prevent  the troops that are scheduled to return from leaving.

The time to act is now! More than 50 U.S. cities have 
answered the call put out by the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition to  hold nationally-coordinated emergency demonstrations 
between Friday, April 9 and Monday, April 12 to demand 
U.S. OUT OF IRAQ, Bring the Troops Home Now and Money for  jobs, education and healthcare - Not for wars of 
aggression. New cities are announcing their plans by the  hour. Demonstrations are also taking place around the 
world. See below for details on how you can join these 
important demonstrations.

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UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL:
Nationwide protests against Iraq war

WASHINGTON, April 8 (UPI) -- Opponents of the war in Iraq  are gathering in cities across the United States over the  Easter weekend in response to a call to action to protest  the war.

The anti-war ANSWER Coalition has issued a call for 
"emergency local demonstrations" nationwide to protest the  war in Iraq, call for the return of U.S. troops from Iraq,  and a call for money for healthcare and education, not the  war. ANSWER is an acronym for "Act Now to Stop War and  Racism."

As of Thursday demonstrations were planned for Friday  through Monday in 17 towns and cities [now more than 50],  including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington at  the White House.

"The revolt sweeping Iraq in opposition to foreign 
occupation has resulted in the White House and Pentagon  ordering a reign of terror against all those who defy U.S.  dictates," the organization said in a statement announcing  the protests.

"Hundreds of Iraqis have been killed. A large number of 
U.S. troops have also died. And there is no let up in 
sight. ... The current crisis in Iraq is again stimulating 
protests around the country and around the world," the  statement said.

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Cities holding demonstrations include:
Albuquerque, NM
Atlanta, GA
Augusta, ME
Baltimore, MD
Binghamton, NY
Birmingham, AL
Boston, MA
Buffalo, NY
Carlsbad, CA
Cedar Falls, IA
Charlotte, NC
Chicago, IL
Detroit, MI
Fayetteville, AR
Ferndale, MI
Gettysburg, PA
Grand Rapids, MI
Kingston, NY
Long Island, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Massachusetts, MA
Middletown, NY
Mill Valley, CA
Minneapolis, MN
Mountain View, CA
New Haven, CT
New York, NY
Portland, OR
Providence, RI
San Diego, CA
San Francisco, CA
San Jose, CA
Sarasota Springs, NY
Seattle, WA
Springfield, MA
St. Petersburg, FL
Washington, DC
& more!

For details of the demonstrations taking pl