National war protest set for June 5
By Sarah
Sloan
Almost a thousand groups and individuals have signed a call
for a national march on June 5 to protest NATO's bombing of
Yugoslavia.
The Emergency Mobilization to Stop the War, a newly formed
coalition, plans a mass march in Washington, from the Vietnam
Veterans' Memorial to the Pentagon. Many of the groups have
been organizing across the country since the bombing began.
The International Action Center, one of the groups
sponsoring the June 5 march, has also called for May 15 actions
to protest the war in at least five cities.
On March 24, as the bombs began to drop, anti-war activists,
together with Serbian people and others from the Balkan region,
were in the streets protesting. Since then, there have been
constant demonstrations, teach-ins, and delegations to
Yugoslavia to begin building a mass movement to stop the
war.
This movement has now issued a call for the June 5
demonstration that reads in part:
"U.S./NATO bombs and cruise missiles are raining down on
Belgrade, Pristina, Novi Sad and other cities, towns and
villages in Yugoslavia, falling on Serbs, Albanians,
Hungarians, Romanis and Montenegrins alike.
"In the name of `peace,' NATO has killed thousands and
destroyed hospitals, homes, schools, universities, bridges,
power and water treatment plants, factories, and more. In the
name of `protecting human rights,' the launching of the air war
has triggered a refugee crisis displacing hundreds of thousands
of people.
"Now, as the bombing and its terrible toll escalate, the
threat of a U.S. invasion of Yugoslavia looms. A ground war
will mean the deployment of hundreds of thousands of
troops.
"Now is the time to act! We are urging you to join us in the
newly formed Emergency Mobilization to Stop the War. Hundreds
of thousands of us marched against the U.S. war on Iraq in
1990-91. We have continued to work against the sanctions that
have killed more than 1.5 million civilians in that
country.
"Now, the Pentagon is embarked upon another bloody
intervention, in violation of all international law, and
against the interests of the people of the Balkans and the
people of this country as well.
"The Emergency Mobilization to Stop the War is planning
major activities to mobilize hundreds of thousands of people
who will say in a loud and clear voice: `Stop the bombing! Stop
the war! Bring the troops, ships and planes home now! Money for
jobs, health care and education, not for war!'"
Endorsers include former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark,
historian Howard Zinn, IFCO/Pastors for Peace Executive
Director the Rev. Lucius Walker, Mumia Abu-Jamal--author, MOVE
supporter and political prisoner, Geronimo ji Jaga, Leslie
Feinberg, Pam Africa of International Concerned Family and
Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal, Yuri Kochiyama, United American
Indians of New England, United Serbs of America, Bishop Thomas
Gumbleton, Women Strike for Peace Legislative Director Edith
Villastrigo, the International Action Center and Fellowship of
Reconciliation Executive Director John Dear.
Almost 1,000 groups and individuals from around the world
have signed on as part of the Emergency Mobilization to Stop
the War. Those who want to endorse can see the online
endorsers' form at
http://home.earthlink.net/~npcboston/jun5end.htm or contact the
Emergency Mobilization office.
May 15 actions
The International Action Center, one of the coalition's
initiators, has called a demonstration for May 15 in New York.
There will also be demonstrations in Boston, Minneapolis,
Toronto, New Paltz, N.Y., and a number of other cities.
The New York demonstration will target the offices of the
WNYC radio station to protest its exclusion of the anti-war
movement. Protesters will then march onto the Brooklyn Bridge
in solidarity with the people of Yugoslavia who are occupying
bridges in defiance of NATO's bombing campaign.
Part of the New York march will go through downtown
Manhattan's Chinese community with signs in Chinese aloft and
people from that community participating.
In all, thousands of people will be demonstrating as part of
the effort to help build a massive June 5 national march on the
Pentagon.
For more information on the June 5 demonstration in
Washington--including bus information, organizing centers in
your area and organizing packets--readers can contact the
Emergency Mobilization National Office by telephone at (212)
633-6646 or by email at iacenter@iacenter.org.
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