March 19 Momentum Builds Across Country

MARCH 19
MOMENTUM BUILDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
San Francisco, Los Angeles, Fayetteville,
New York City, Chicago, New Paltz,
& many more!

For Immediate Release: March 12, 2005
Press contact: (202) 544-3389

SAN FRANCISCO

The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition demonstration in San Francisco has gained
growing support in the recent days and weeks. Tens of thousands will
march.

* The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 10 has
called "stop work meetings" to shut down Bay Area and other West Coast
ports in solidarity with the International Day of Protests.

* Labor will be sponsoring a pre-march rally and then forming a large
contingent in the San Francisco march. The co-sponsors of the labor
rally and contingent include the six Bay Area Labor Councils: San
Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, South Bay and Monterey Bay; U.S.
Labor Against the War, Million Worker March Movement, Bay Area Labor
Committee for Peace & Justice, ILWU Local 10 and Pride at Work.

* Community groups and religious organizations from the African
American community are mobilizing. Glide Memorial Church, one of the largest
churches in San Francisco, is mobilizing its congregation to
participate in the march and rally. Glide Head Minister Cecil Williams will be
among the speakers at the rally.

* There is a major contingent being organized by activists from the
Palestinian, Arab American and Muslim communities.

* Air America and KPFA Pacifica radio will both be doing live
broadcasts of the rally.

* Immigrant rights activists are mobilizing among the immigrant and
people of color communities.

* A counter-recruitment contingent is being organized by students from
many colleges and universities in the area.

* Buses and car caravans are coming from all over the region,
including Sacramento, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Nevada city, Sonoma County, and
many area campuses and towns.

In San Francisco, gather at 11am at Dolores Park (Dolores St. between
18th and 20th Sts.). March to the Civic Center for a rally at 1 pm.

LOS ANGELES

The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition demonstration in Los Angeles will draw
people from the Southern California region, as well as neighboring states.

Several actions will take place in Los Angeles between March 14 and 18
as part of the Campus and High School Week of Resistance. After a
successful week, youth and students will join the March 19 protest in force
in a Youth & Student Contingent demanding "Money for Education, Not for
War & Occupation!"

Unionists will also march together in a Labor Contingent organized by
the Los Angeles chapter of U.S. Labor Against the War.

Speakers at the Los Angeles demonstration will include Ron Kovic; Maria
Elena Durazo, President of UNITE HERE Local 11; Actor Mimi Kennedy; Sal
Rosselli, President, SEIU Local 250; and many more. Performers will
include: Conspiracy of Thought, the Freedom People, Patty Lagana and the
Sunshine Brothers, hip-hop artist Farmer John and more.

Media Co-Sponsor Pacifica KPFK, 90.7 FM will broadcast the rally live!

In Los Angeles, gather at 12 noon at Hollywood & Vine for a march and
rally.

FAYETTEVILLE, NC

Fayetteville, North Carolina is the home of Fort Bragg, 82nd Airborne,
Special Force. More than 45,000 military personnel are stationed there.
Thousands of people from across the South and East Coast are organizing
buses, vans and car caravans to be at the regional march and rally in
Fayetteville on March 19.

During the Vietnam War, GI resistance and mass organizing inside the
military became a central element for the growth of the antiwar movement.
There are now thousands of U.S. soldiers who - even under the threat of
military discipline - are disaffected and questioning the war. Several
army resisters now face court martial trials.

Camilo Mejia - who was released February 15 after serving 9 months at
the Oklahoma Army prison - will be speaking in Fayetteville. After
spending 6 months in combat in Iraq, Camilo refused to return after his
2-week return to the U.S. Michael Berg, father of Nicholas Berg, will be
traveling from West Chester, Pennsylvania, to speak. Also speaking will
be other military families, GI resisters, veterans, students and more.

Originating sponsors: Bring Them Home Now, Fayetteville Peace With
Justice, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, NC
Council of Churches, NC Peace & Justice Coalition, Quaker House -
Fayetteville, United for Peace and Justice, and Veterans For Peace.

In Fayetteville, gather at 11 am at the Cumberland County Health Center
(227 Fountainhead Lane). At 12 noon, march to Rowan Street Park (Rowan
Ave and Woodside) for a rally from 1-4 pm.

NEW YORK CITY

In New York City, gather at 10 am for a rally at Marcus Garvey Park
(5th Ave. between 120th and 124th Sts.). Following the rally, march to the
military recruiting station on 125th St. and then to the East Meadow in
Central Park (97th St. and 5th Ave.) for a rally at 12 noon. At 3 pm,
march to Mayor Bloomberg's mansion on 79th St.

Speakers will include former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, Rev.
Lucius Walker, human rights lawyer Lynne Stewart, members of the NY City
Council, and others.

Endorsers include ACT UP-NY (AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power), Al-Awda
Palestine Right to Return Coalition, Alberto Lovera Bolivarian Circle,
Arab American Civic Organization, Arab Muslim American Federation,
Artists and Activists United for Peace, Association of Mexican American
Workers (AMAT), Axis of Logic, BAYAN-USA, Brenda Stokely - President of
AFSCME District Council 1707*, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists - NY,
Haiti Support Network, International Action Center, Korea Truth
Commission, Million Worker March, National Council of Arab Americans, NYC Labor
Against the War, Queers for Peace and Justice, and more.

In New York on March 9, City Council Member Charles Barron announced
that he was introducing a resolution into the City Council that asks the
council to support the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, and to
oppose the spending of more funds on the war that could be used to close
budget deficits in cities across the country.

CHICAGO

On the second anniversary of the war on Iraq Chicago will again join
the world in saying "No to War and Occupation" and demanding "Bring the
Troops Home Now." Over 50 organizations have joined together in the
March 19 Chicago Coalition to march and rally in opposition to the
occupations in Iraq, Palestine, Haiti and Afghanistan, threatened military
intervention against Iran, Syria and Korea, as well as in Venezuela and
Cuba. The march and rally will demand that the hundreds of billions of
dollars now being spent on war go instead to fund health care, housing,
education, social security, public transportation and other necessities
here as well as to pay reparations to countries abroad for the criminal
actions conducted by present and past administrations.

Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney will head a list of speakers that
includes high school students who have conducted a struggle against the
military takeover of their school; a Marine who refused orders to go to
Iraq; solidarity statements from groups and individuals representing the
Palestinian, Haitian, Venezuelan, Iraqi and Iranian, communities; as well
as a Vietnam Veteran, the father of a GI killed in Afghanistan; and
Fred Hampton Jr., who will speak out in defense of political prisoner
Aaron Patterson.

Termed a March for Civil Liberties at Home and Self Determination
Abroad, the Chicago Antiwar movement is fighting against the Daley
administration's ban on its right to march down the populated Michigan Avenue
and efforts to force it to march down streets that are vacant on a
Saturday. Feeder marches are coming from various parts of the city reflecting
the growing support for the right to protest the criminal policies of
the national, state and city governments.

In Chicago, gather at 12 noon at Oak St. & Michigan Ave. followed by a
march down Michigan Ave. to Federal Plaza.

NEW PALTZ, NY

The Mid-Hudson locals of three labor unions - 1199 SEIU, United
University Professions, and Communication Workers of America - have joined 60
other organizations in sponsoring a regional antiwar rally and march in
New Paltz. Also among those backing the event are several Democratic
Committees, two Green Party chapters, 11 SUNY New Paltz student groups,
and various peace, justice, cultural, anti-imperialist, socialist and
religious groups. Co-sponsoring organizations come from Ulster, Dutchess,
Orange, Sullivan, Rockland and Columbia counties. The event is
sponsored by the ad hoc March 19 Coalition, organized by the Hudson Valley
Activist Newsletter.

Opening the rally will be welcoming remarks from New Paltz Mayor Jason
West and Town Supervisor Don Wilen. The keynote speaker at the rally
will be Rep.Maurice Hinchey (D-NY). Other speakers include Bard
Professor, activist and writer Joel Kovel; activist Donna Goodman; march
organizer and MC Jack A. Smith; civil liberties attorney Michael Sussman and
others, including two SUNY New Paltz students and two members of the New
Paltz Village Board (Rebecca Rotzler and Julia Walsh). The singing
group Voices for Peace will provide music, as will local topical and folk
singer Bob Lusk and others.

In New Paltz, gather at 1 pm in Hasbrouck Park. There will be a
spirited peace parade through the village, complete with a marching band which
will follow the march.

PROTESTS ACROSS THE U.S.

Hundreds of protests will take place across the U.S. and around the
world as part of the March 19 Global Day of Action.

U.S. cities holding protests include:
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Augusta, Virginia
Biloxi, Mississippi
Bozeman, Montana
Burlington, Iowa
Carbondale, Illinois
Charleston, South Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Chicago, Illinois
Columbus, Ohio
Cottage Grove, Oregon
Dayton, Ohio
Denver, Colorado
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Flint, Michigan
Gainesville, Florida
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Huntsville, Alabama
Juneau, Alaska
Knoxville, Tennessee
Lansing, Michigan
Lima, Ohio
Little Rock, Arkansas
Los Angeles, California
Martinsburg, West Virginia
Memphis, Tennessee
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Natick, Massachusetts
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Paltz, New York
New York City, New York
Orlando, Florida
Pahoa, Hawaii
Phoenix, Arizona
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Rutland, Vermont
Salina, Kansas
San Francisco, California
Seattle, Washington
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Paul, Minnesota
St. Petersburg, Florida
Sylmar, California
Worcester, Massachusetts

For details of demonstrations in these and many others cities, see the
March 19 Event Listing section of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition website:
http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=gxjZXXp7BxK72suC2Mm5YQ..

MARCH 14-18:
STUDENTS & YOUTH MOBILIZE AGAINST WAR & RACISM

The Students & Youth Week of Resistance March 14-18 initiated by The
Global Resistance Network and Youth & Student A.N.S.W.E.R. is gaining
momentum.

* View a list of events taking place across the country:
http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=gS4i5tpB8jO72suC2Mm5YQ..

* Read the Call to Action:
http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=0EvZutL0USO72suC2Mm5YQ..

* * * * *

PRESS CONTACT: (202) 544-3389

A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
Act Now to Stop War & End Racism
http://www.ANSWERcoalition.org
info [at] internationalanswer.org