Troops Out Now Strategy Meeting on Building A United Front to Stop the War
Troops Out Now Strategy Meeting on Building A United Front to Stop the War Activists Say: "Bring the Troops Home Now or We'll Shut It Down!"
Activists from across the U.S. and from numerous antiwar, progressive, and labor organizations assembled on Saturday, June 11, 2005 at the Lang Center of New School University for a discussion of strategy and unity in the antiwar movement.
This gathering is part of the growing momentum in the antiwar movement for a united front against the war. Polls indicate that the majority of people in the U.S. now oppose the occupation, recruiting numbers are at an all time low, and Bush's approval ratings are falling. This growing opposition can have tremendous impact when it is manifested in the streets. We have an opportunity to take decisive action to bring the troops home and end the criminal occupation of Iraq, and we have a responsibility to do so. On May 26, the Troops Out Now Coalition issued a Unity Call, calling for massive, unified action to stop the war. This call has gathered nearly 1,000 endorsers in the days since it was circulated, reflecting a widespread recognition that the antiwar movement needs to enter a new phase of struggle against the war.
This was evident in the meeting on Saturday, where more than 200 representatives gathered to discuss the next steps for the antiwar struggle. Discussion was spirited, serious, and respectful. Those gathered clearly affirmed proposals and positions put forth by the Troops Out Now Coalition, including:
* The vital importance of building a united front against the war. Our emphasis needs to be on building a large, militant antiwar movement that is capable of stopping the war. TONC renews its appeal to the small but influential forces in the antiwar movement who refused to work together for the fall and beyond to reverse their positions and help unleash the full mass potential of the struggle to shut the war down. * That building a united movement means including, not excluding the struggles of oppressed people. Support for the Right of all Palestinian refugees and their descendants to return to their original homes and property in all of historic Palestine is not negotiable. * That unity means much more than organizational unity. It means, more importantly, that the antiwar movement reaches out to and embraces the struggles of oppressed people here and internationally. It means solidarity with the struggle of communities of color, with LGBT communities, with immigrants, and with struggles against racism, sexism, and all forms of oppression. It means solidarity with the people of Iraq, Palestine, Haiti, the Philippines, and everywhere that people are struggling against U.S. colonial occupation. * That the antiwar movement needs to look to new and more effective tactics to stop the war. Activists raised the slogan "Troops Home Now, or We'll Shut It Down!" and discussed the idea of declaring a moratorium against the war, including walkouts, civil disobedience, and other direct actions to bring the cities to a stop until the war is ended. * That the struggle to end the war will be won by mobilizing a massive movement in the streets. Counting on elections and pro-war politicians to end the war is, at best, a misdirection of time, energy, and resources. Only the people will stop the war. To that end, it is important to immediately begin planning and mobilizing now for the September 24 March in Washington DC, the Millions More Movement events on the weekend of October 14-16, and the Moratorium Against the War.
Speakers and participants in the discussion represented many different struggles and organizations. They included:
Brenda Stokely, New York City Labor Against the War and the Million Worker March
Nana Soul of Artists and Activists United for Peace
Charlotte Kates, Al-Awda NY & New Jersey Solidarity-Activists for the Liberation of Palestine
Berna Ellorin, BAYAN USA
Larry Holmes, International Action Center
Jesse Lokahi Heiwa, Queers for Peace and Justice and Queers for Palestine
Lee Siu Hin, an organizer with ActionLA
Sara Flounders, International Action Center
Carl Webb, a member of the Army National Guard who refused to deploy to Iraq
Nellie Bailey, Harlem Tenants Council
Dustin Langley, Navy Veteran, No Draft No Way
LeiLani Dowell, FIST and Queers for Peace & Justice
Teresa Gutierrez, NY Committee to Free the Five
Paul Zulkowitz, Green Party Peace Action Committee
Hadas Their, Campus Antiwar Network, arrested at CCNY for protesting against military recruiters