Colleferro (Rome), Simmel Difesa SpA
Saturday, September 23, 2006, 4pm
Across the United States, from September 21 - 28, the people will declare peace by engaging in a week of nonviolent action and civil disobedience. “The Declaration of Peace”, a nationwide grassroots campaign, calls on the U.S. Congress to establish a concrete and rapid plan for peace in Iraq by September 21, International Peace Day. If such a plan is not put in place by the deadline, signers of the declaration pledge to take action.
The Declaration of Peace is endorsed by over 500 national and local organizations throughout the United States, with close to 400 actions planned in over 150 cities for the week of mobilization. Actions include marches, rallies, demonstrations, interfaith services and candlelight vigils as well as acts of non-violent civil disobedience at local congressional offices and military installations from California to Maine, from New York to Texas. The Declaration of Peace has also been signed by 8 members of Congress.
In the spirit of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr, some signers will be led by conscience to engage in nonviolent civil disobedience and risk arrest as a way to signify their principled opposition to the US war in Iraq.
In Washington, D.C., on September 21 there will be a public signing of The Declaration of Peace, which will then be hand delivered to the White House followed by a sit-in and nonviolent civil resistance. In an act of civil disobedience, both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate will be peacefully occupied on September 26-27.
In Italy, the group U.S. Citizens for Peace and Justice - Rome will show their support of “The Declaration of Peace” by joining Italian activists for a protest on September 23 at 4pm in the town of Colleferro, home to Simmel Difesa SpA, munitions manufacturer and producer of cluster bombs. “As citizens of the country considered to be the largest producer and user of cluster bombs, we are taking part in this protest to say once again, ‘Not in our name,’” said spokesperson Stephanie Westbrook. The U.S. military has used cluster bombs in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. And most recently, Israel used American made cluster bombs in Lebanon, where the U.N. has reported that an estimated 350,000 bomblets are lying around unexploded.
The demonstration in Colleferro is organized by the Coordinamento contro la guerra - Valle del Sacco, Monti Lepini and includes a rally in Piazza Italia, a protest at the gates of Simmel Difesa SpA and speakers on war, reconversion of the weapons industry and reduction of military spending.
For additional information on The Declaration of Peace, see www.declarationofpeace.org
Contact:
Stephanie Westbrook
U.S. Citizens for Peace & Justice - Rome
tel. 333 11 03 510 / 06 8411649