Anti-war activists tell Congress: Bring the troops home now!

WW photo: LeiLani Dowell

March 13—A determined group of activists began arriving here yesterday from across the East Coast and Midwest and immediately began putting up tents, scaffolding, a stage, banners, generators and other materials needed for the “Encampment to Stop the War”—a weeklong, round-the-clock sit-in directly in front of the Capitol Building.

One sentence on the flyer for the encampment, organized by the Troops Out Now Coalition (TONC), sums up the sentiment of participants in the mobilization: “It’s time to move from protest to resistance.”

Representatives from various struggles, including labor and immigrant rights, HIV/AIDS, women’s rights, students and youth, and the anti-war movement have all converged to step up the offensive against the war makers in Congress, the White House and the Pentagon.

Mel Stevens, an AIDS activist for the past 13 years, told Workers World newspaper why he was at the encampment: “I think the word that comes to mind is hemorrhage. ... There’s just obscene amounts of money, billions of dollars, that are being taken away from health care in the United States to fund an illegal and preemptive war. The monies could easily go for AIDS awareness, for AIDS treatment, to raise people’s consciousness, to let the young people know that AIDS is still around.”

Day One yesterday featured a kickoff rally and media conference that included singer-songwriter Anne Feeney, as well as representatives from TONC, Code Pink, DC Anti-War Network, After Downing Street, FIST (Fight Imperialism, Stand Together) and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). Later that evening, a demonstration organized by the DC Anti-War Network protested the annual convention of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. [See accompanying article, page 3.]

The Roll Call—the newspaper of Capitol Hill read daily by lobbyists, congresspeople and other politicians—featured a full-color picture in its March 13 edition of Walter Williams, a Troops Out Now Coalition activist, putting up a huge banner that will remain in front of the Capitol until the beginning of next week. The banner reads: “Congress, the world is watching—CUT OFF WAR FUNDS.”

Spirits remained high on Day Two. Activists were present from Washington, D.C.; New York; New Jersey; Raleigh, N.C.; Boston; Richmond, Va.; Detroit; Maine; and even from as far away as San Diego and Los Angeles, Calif. More are expected to arrive in the coming days as March 17—the fourth anniversary of the war and the date of a march on the Pentagon called by the ANSWER Coalition—draws near.

A morning meeting today provided a forum to discuss the politics of the day and the goals of the encampment. Encampment participants stressed that Congress already knows and knew from the beginning that the war in Iraq is not only illegal and unjust, but that it is a colonial occupation. Therefore, activist participants expressed the need to expose the Democratic Party as a war party itself that is part and parcel of the war machine.

A TONC statement promoting the encampment explains the Democratic Party’s newest attempt to appease the anti-war constituents that voted them into office, while still funding the war: “Democratic Party leaders propose to begin withdrawing troops in a year to 18 months. Over the last 18 months, more than 1,200 U.S. soldiers have been killed, and about seven times that many wounded and maimed. ... A year or 18 more months of war is a death sentence for untold numbers of soldiers and an even greater number of Iraqis.” An even more insidious facet of this “withdrawal” legislation is that it gives the right for the president to waive any part of an established timetable at any time.

Participants discussed how the capitalist media would like to downplay the movement against the war in the streets by focusing exclusively on the debate on war funding in Congress. But with no illusions about Congress’ desire to continue the war by supporting its funding, one main goal of the encampment is to take the opposition for the war funding into the streets.

These lively discussions were repeated to passersby, many of whom enthusiastically visited the encampment, took pictures in front of the banners and thanked participants for their presence.

The next few days will be filled with activity for encampment participants.

On March 14, a delegation of women, organized by the Women’s Fightback Network, will caravan from the encampment to the Iraqi embassy to demand the release of three Iraqi women from prisons in Baghdad. The women were imprisoned with their young children and sentenced to death by hanging because of their alleged participation in the resistance to the U.S. occupation. While their executions were stayed after a wave of international protest, the women and their children remain in prison awaiting an appeals trial.

A forum that evening will address the continuing escalation of threats by U.S. imperialism against Iran.

On March 15, activists from the encampment will support a media conference called by the National May 1st Movement for Worker and Immigrant Rights to announce upcoming plans for the Great American Boycott II to take place on May 1.

In addition, a caravan of veterans and military families will protest the deplorable conditions and treatment of wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center, the Pentagon’s flagship military hospital.

On March 16, a youth and student action will occur, as well as a fundraiser featuring vocalist Pam Parker to help pay for the encampment.

On March 17, the encampment will swell the ranks of protesters from across the United States who will be converging on the Pentagon to say, “Stop the War Machine!”

Activists intend to continue camping out in front of the Capitol until the war funding has been voted on, which is expected to occur in the following week. For more information on the encampment, visit encampmenttostopthewar.blogspot.com.

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