‘Cut funding for Iraq war!’

City Councilperson Charles Barron announced from the steps of New York’s City Hall at a Feb. 6 media conference that he is planning to introduce a resolution in the city council that calls for the U.S. Congress to cut off all funding for the war in Iraq.

Charles Barron WW photos: Sharon Black

Barron was joined at the media conference by anti-war leaders and activists such as Shawna Glover from Black Waxx artists; Bernadette Ellorin from BAYAN-USA; Larry Holmes, Brenda Stokely and Nellie Bailey from the Troops Out Now Coalition (TONC); Vinie Burrows as part of a delegation of Grannies for Peace; students from CCNY; some labor officials and members of the clergy.

President George W. Bush recently asked Congress to approve $245 billion more to fund the war in Iraq, and to cut $78 billion from Medicare and Medicaid.

Brenda Stokely and Larry Holmes

Councilperson Barron said: “The non-binding resolution being debated in Congress is a diversion. The real issue is the vote on war funding.”

Barron continued, “We must demand that Senators Clinton and Schumer stop talking antiwar, and vote against war funding.”

Plans for a major New York City march and rally organized by TONC on Feb. 17 to demand that Hillary Clinton, Charles Schumer and Congress cut off war funding, and a march on the Pentagon March 17 were also announced at the media conference.

—Monica Moorehead