The Declaration of Peace

ABC-KGO
By Lyanne Melendez

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Mar. 19 - KGO - Four years ago today, the U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq. Some 200,000 American troops are still there.

Today, the president issued a plea for patience.

President George W. Bush: “It can be tempting to look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude our best option is to pack up and go home. That may be satisfying in the short run, but I believe the consequences for American security would be devastating.”

President Bush contends if American forces were to step back from Baghdad now, violence could spread across the rest of the country, eventually leaving Iraq as a safe haven for terrorists to plan more attacks against the United States.

Of course, many others see the situation differently, and today’s anniversary is bringing out war activists on both sides.

A cross-covered hillside in Lafayette has become a flashpoint for the war debate. Tonight, war protesters will gather for a candlelight vigil at the crosses, while right across the street, a “Support the Troops” counter-protest will take place — and there are others.

In the past four years we’ve seen a number of demonstrations in the Bay Area. Today’s protests, especially the ones in San Francisco, were intended to send a message to California Democrats, especially House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The message is — we supported you, we elected you, now get us out of this mess.

About 200 people demonstrated against the Iraq War in front of San Francisco’s Federal Building. Among the speakers is Daniel Ellsberg, a former military analyst. In 1971, Ellsberg released the Pentagon Papers to The New York Times, documenting the U.S. military’s activities in Vietnam.

Ellsberg talked to us about the similarities and differences he sees between Vietnam and Iraq.

Daniel Ellsberg, Former Military Analyst: “It’s an un-winnable war. It’s a war we were lied into, that’s exactly like Vietnam. It’s a war of ambushes. The ambushes are in the cities instead of the jungles, that’s a difference. There is a civil war going on much more seriously than was true in Vietnam.”

Anne Roesler’s son fought in Iraq for two years. She wants Congress to vote against the emergency spending bill to cover the cost of the war. President Bush is asking for $93.4 billion dollars.

Anne Roesler, Military Families Speak Out: “They’ve got to stop funding the war. It’s the only power that the Congress has, the power of the purse, they need to use it.”

The Democrats’ war spending bill includes a troop withdrawal deadline of September 1, 2008.

This afternoon, Anne and other military families took their message to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. They were arrested outside Pelosi’s San Francisco office for refusing to leave. Cell phone pictures were given to ABC7 News by one of those being taken away.

There were more arrests. This time in front of the building where Senator Dianne Feinstein has her office.

So far in the last four years, the Pentagon says 3,197 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq. The Defense Department does not release the number of Iraqis killed, but an independent London-based group called Iraq Body Count puts the number of Iraqi civilians killed between 59,000 and 65,000.

Copyright 2007, ABC7/KGO-TV/DT.

By Adam Tanner

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Police arrested more than 100 Iraq war protesters in San Francisco and New York City on Monday as the nation marked the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Uniformed police outnumbered the fewer than 100 protesters outside the stock exchange building at the corner of Broad and Wall streets in New York’s historic financial district.

“Stop the money, stop the war,” demonstrators chanted as police hauled away limp-bodied protesters.

A police spokesman said 44 were arrested.

Demonstrators said they were directing their protest at major defense contractors Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Halliburton, General Electric and others. The protest had no impact on the stock exchange’s trading.

“U.S. service members and Iraqi civilians are dying so that an elite few can profit,” said Fabian Bouthillette, 26, a high school teacher who served for two years in the U.S. Navy.

In San Francisco, dozens of demonstrators, many of them old enough to have once protested the Vietnam War in the 1960s and early 1970s, conducted a “Die In” by lying on the sidewalk and pretending to be dead. Some wore fake blood to recall the more than 3,200 U.S. military personnel killed in the Iraq War.

Many later moved to obstruct Market Street, running through the city’s central business district.

“As soon as they went out there we started making arrests,” police spokesman Neville Gittens said. “They were warned.”

Another spokesman said police arrested 57 people in two separate San Francisco locations.

Polls show most Americans now oppose the war in Iraq, yet without a military draft like that which helped focus public opposition to the Vietnam War, public protests have been far smaller than they were in that era.

Thousands have, however, rallied against the war in recent days nationwide, including in the Washington D.C. area, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

(Additional reporting by Edith Honan in New York)

San Francisco Action Part of Nationwide Protests on War’s 4th Anniversary

San Francisco, CA – Religious and community leaders will be joined by local activists to demand that Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) vote no on upcoming legislation that would provide funding for the war in Iraq. This action is part of a nationwide Declaration of Peace campaign to protest the war on the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Actions will take place in more than 30 states around the country.

WHO: Declaration of Peace, 1st Lt. Watada Support Group

WHAT: Civil Disobedience Die-In and Vigil Against War Funding

WHEN: Monday, March 19 at 12 NOON

WHERE: Office of Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Market and Montgomery Streets San Francisco, CA

The Declaration of Peace is a grassroots nonviolent action campaign of more than 800 groups calling for a comprehensive plan to end the war and occupation in Iraq. It works to stop US military escalation in Iraq, to defund the war, to bring the troops home safely and to support a comprehensive peace process. More information, including member groups and descriptions of actions nationwide at: www.declarationofpeace.org

ABC30.com
By Ross Palombo
March 12, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO - Several war protestors are camping out this morning in front of the San Francisco home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. They’re trying to convince Pelosi to spearhead legislation to cut off war funding and bring the troops home now.

Lelsie Angeline, Code Pink: "We’re here to occupy her house, to show here what it feels like to be occupied."

They are calling it Camp Pelosi. Members of Code Pink are sleeping just steps away from the speaker’s front door, all of them hoping she will wake-up this morning and meet their demands.

Toby, Code Pink: "What we really want is to be a leader and end this war."

Their fight began Sunday afternoon with a march from the Golden Gate Bridge to Nancy Pelosi’s Pacific Heights home.

After reading the names of every California service member killed in Iraq, protesters began calling out Pelosi’s name, calling for her to spearhead legislation to bring the troops home now.

Celeste Durrum, Code Pink: "We’ve heard a lot of talk from the Democratic party. Now, they have the power and we expect them to walk their talk."

But, house leaders insist it’s not that simple, that there are deep divisions over whether to withdraw now or, as Pelosi would like, to withdraw in the next year.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: "It is our goal to end the war in Iraq and bring them home safely and soon. Our legislation does just that."

Congress will debate that legislation this week. Meanwhile Code Pink says it will stay encamped here as long as it takes.

Jannie Bonesparth, Code Pink: "It would be nice to wake up to better headlines."

After holding banners over the main commute routes into San Francisco early on Monday, Sept 25, many gathered again at four to block the entrance to the military recruiting stations. In attendance were about thirty protesters including the mother of a slain US soldier, the mother of a current soldier, and a group of teens from a local high school. One radio and six TV stations covered the story. There were lots of police, in attendance, but in recent times, police no longer arrest non-violent peace activists in San Francisco.

Photo by Stephen McNeil

Photo by Stephen McNeil

Photo by Stephen McNeil

by Paul Hogarth, 2006-09-22
Original with photos on Beyond Chron

About 25 activists gathered at the Office of Supervisor Chris Daly yesterday to display the Code Pink Peace Ribbon Quilt, and to kick off the Declaration of Peace Week of Action. The Declaration, which has been endorsed by over 180 peace and justice organizations throughout the country has three basic platforms: (1) bring our troops home now, (2) establish a plan to end the war in Iraq, and (3) prevent future U.S. invasions such as Iran, Syria or North Korea.

The festivities kicked off with 5 grandmothers called the “Raging Grannies,” who entertained the crowd with a series of songs like “Please Tell America, Bring the Troops Home” (sung to the tune of “God Bless America”), “Will the Bill of Rights Be Unbroken” (sung to the tune of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”), and even a version of the “Hokey-Pokey” (with catchy lines such as “you put the peace in – you put the war out.”)

“We believe that there is a connection between the violence in Iraq, and the violence on our streets,” said activist Vickie Leidner of Code Pink. “Remember that the peace movement can be a peace movement at home.” Code Pink was founded in response to the Bush Administration’s cynical manipulation of color-codes of danger by the Department of Homeland Security, and has been effectively spreading the message of peace and social justice through rallies, protests and direct action.

Supervisor Daly’s office also featured Code Pink’s Peace Ribbon Quilt, which includes over 150 patches commemorating the U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians who have been killed in this unjustified war – including Casey Sheehan, the son of prominent anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan. “I can think of no more relevant and no more humanistic display of the horrific war in Iraq,” said Daly, “than this quilt.” Daly went on to compare it with the AIDS Quilt that was created in the 1980’s to commemorate victims of the AIDS Epidemic.

“The Declaration of Peace is a nationwide project,” explained organizer Elizabeth Boardman. 320 different activities are being scheduled for the upcoming week in 40 different parts of the country, including places like a small military town in North Carolina. Locally, activities will include direct actions at the Bechtel Headquarters downtown (who have massively profited from government contracts in Iraq), and a trespass at a local Military Recruitment Center on Monday. Next week, the monthly San Francisco Critical Mass bike ride will focus on targeting gas stations to prevent cars from feeding the oil companies who have spurred the Bush Administration into war.

Today, supporters of the Declaration of Peace are urged to call their members of Congress to demand that they support the Declaration’s three basic objectives: (1) bring the troops home, (2) develop a plan to end the war, and (3) oppose future U.S. invasions. Supporters can call their members of Congress toll free at (800) 839-5276. So far, eight members of Congress have signed onto the Declaration, including Barbara Lee of Oakland, Lynn Woolsey of Marin County, and Sam Farr of Salinas.

After the reception at Supervisor Daly’s office, activists congregated at Civic Center Park into the evening hours, as religious leaders led the crowd into singing songs of peace and justice, followed by a candlelight vigil. One local musician even led the crowd into singing “Imagine” by John Lennon.

For more information on the week’s events, or to get more involved, check out http://www.declarationofpeace.org