Advocates to Emulate - DemocracyRising.US

Way to go Maine! Hmmm, wheels are turning here, something we can orchestrate in our own respective states?

Activists Let Their Representatives Know - Immediate Withdrawal Plan for Iraq Needed

Peace activists representing Peace Action Maine, Maine Veterans For Peace, Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space and other groups have been occupying the offices of their elected representatives in Maine.

They have already occupied the offices of their two Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins. Neither Senator called the police and they were there over five hours. During these events they read a prepared statement calling, among other things, for the immediate withdrawal from Iraq citing the Woosley amendment. In addition they read the names and ages of the over 1,500 service men and woman who have died in the illegal war and occupation. For every service person read they also read the name of an Iraqi individual or family who has died as a result of the U.S. war and occupation.

The coalition has announced that on March 18th at 11:30 AM it will conduct a similar action at Representative Tom Allen's Office in Portland, Maine. Below is the announcement of that effort along with the contact information of the people involved.

Notice of upcoming action at Representative Tom Allen's Office (Portland, ME)

On March 18th, at 11:30 AM, peace activists representing Peace Action Maine, Maine Veterans For Peace, Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space and other groups, will occupy Representative Tom Allen's office. We will deliver a prepared statement to Representative Allen, which will, among other points, ask the Congressman to support the Woosley amendment calling for an immediate plan for the withdrawal of U.S. military forces. We will then begin to read the names and ages of the over 1,500 U.S. service people who have died in the illegal and immoral war in Iraq.

For every U.S. service person's name that is read, we will also read the name, and age, of an Iraqi civilian or family who has died as a direct result of our war and subsequent occupation. Unfortunately, a complete reading of the Iraqi war dead would be impossible for we do not know how many have died, let alone who.

The purpose of this affinity group action is to make a statement to an elected official who is responsible for approving the funding for this costly war. Each person attending this action wishes to make a moral and ethical appeal to Representative Allen, and his staff, that our occupation of another sovereign nation has to end and to do that all U.S. service people should be withdrawn immediately.

We will be urging Congressman Allen, as we did Senators Collins and Snowe during a similar actions at their offices in December and February, to speak out against the war; to call for a cut in funding for the war and to bring all U.S. troops home immediately. We will also request a public meeting with Congressman Allen so people in the community can raise their concerns with him.

We hope you will find time to join us in this moving and uplifting action. We meet at the Peace & Justice Center of Southern Maine, 1 Pleasant St, Portland, at 10:30 for a short planning session and will walk over to Allen's office.

Contact information for this event:

Jack Bussell, Veterans for Peace 772-1442

Karen Wainberg, Peace Action Maine 772-0680

Bruce Gagnon, Global Network 729-0517

Visit http://vfpmaine.org/vfp.htm for more information.

Advocates to Emulate - DemocracyRising.US