[Peace] IMPORTANT: UPDATE FROM THE NATIONAL PEACE ACTION OFFICE (fwd)

[Matt Reichel]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2003 12:11:13 -0500
From: Kevin Martin <kmartin at peace-action.org>
To: affiliates at peace-action.org
Subject: IMPORTANT: UPDATE FROM THE NATIONAL PEACE ACTION OFFICE

Sisters and Brothers:

An illegal, immoral, unnecessary war appears just days or even hours away.
The U.S. and Britain have pulled the Security Council resolution, a stunning
admission of defeat, and President Bush will address the nation tonight.  A
government source says Saddam Hussein has less than 72 hours to step down or
face war.

CNN reports U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan is expected to announce this
afternoon that U.N. inspectors will be pulled out of Iraq. Robin Cook, a
former foreign secretary and senior member of British Prime Minister Tony
Blair's cabinet, resigned his post as the government's leader in the House
of Commons to protest the war after a private meeting with Prime Minister
Tony Blair.

Here are a few things you need to know:

1.  PRESS RELEASE: The national office will send out a press release this
afternoon to national media outlets, and we will send it to this
affiliate/board listerv as well for you to use or adapt as you see fit.

2.  ACTIVATION OF THE IRAQ PLEDGE OF RESISTANCE:  Many of you are already
involved in plans for, or have committed, acts of non-violent civil
disobedience to oppose the war.  Groups in over 55 cities around the country
are organizing as part of the Pledge.  There will be a press conference here
in Washington, DC, most likely tomorrow, to announce that the national
Pledge of Resistance is being officially activated.  Please see
www.peacepledge.org for more information.

3.  EMERGENCY DAY OF/DAY AFTER ACTIONS:  Most of you already have plans for
emergency demonstrations the day an attack commences or the day after.  If
you have not done so already, please post the information on these actions
on the United for Peace and Justice website at www.unitedforpeace.org.

4.  ACTIONS THIS COMING SATURDAY:  In addition to day of/day after actions,
some calls are already out for demonstrations next Saturday, March 22.
Activists in New York City have been planning a demonstration there for
several weeks, and actually have a march permit from the city, so this will
likely be the largest demonstration on the East Coast this Saturday.  Of
course you need to decide what you need to do in your city, but those of you
on the east coast should at least consider coming to New York to join the
demonstration there.  Here are the details:

MARCH FOR PEACE AND DEMOCRACY IN NEW YORK CITY
Saturday, March 22
Gather at 12:00 noon
Broadway between 38th & 42nd Streets, Manhattan

More info. at www.unitedforpeace.org

There are also calls out for a demonstration in Washington, DC this
Saturday, further details to come.

I know it looks dark right now, but as Peter, Paul and Mary sang last night
in a beautiful vigil at the Lincoln Memorial, "Don't let the light go out,
it's lasted for so many years
Don't let the light go out, let it shine through our love and our tears!"

Peace and Love,

Kevin Martin
Executive Director
Peace Action and Peace Action Education Fund