Mobilization against war April 20 in Washington

Mobilization against war April 20 in Washington
April 2002

A coalition of over 100 progressive organizations, led by the National Youth and Student Peace Coalition, has announced plans for a March on Washington April 20 to oppose domestic and global impacts of the Bush Administration's open-ended war.

"This is an historic turning point," said Maria Ramos, national co-coordinator for the April 20th mobilization. "People from all over the country are heading to Washington to present a vision of a world truly free of terrorism-one in which peace and the needs of people and the planet are given top priority."

The coalition is making six demands of Congress and the Administration:

A U.S. foreign policy based upon social and economic justice, not military oppression;
Government funding for victims of the 9-11 attacks and the recession;
An end to racial profiling and military recruitment targeting youth of color and working class youth;
An end to the degrading and secret imprisonment of immigrants;
Full disclosure of military contracts with universities;
Increased funding for non-military-based financial aid for education.

"Since September 11, the Bush Administration has been taking advantage of our grieving in giving more money to weapons manufacturers, airlines and other giant corporations," said Eleiza Braun, national organizer for the Student Peace Action Network (SPAN). "This increases economic injustice and the gap between haves and have-nots, conditions in which terrorism thrives."

More than 100 organizations, including over 50 national, have endorsed the march, with more joining weekly. The event will occur in solidarity with the Colombia mobilization, a series of events the same weekend to demand an end to U.S. military intervention in Colombia. Both these mobilizations are being organized in cooperation with demonstrations at the meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund demanding grassroots, rather than corporate-driven, globalization, also held that weekend.

"Let us work toward a world beyond war and terrorism," said Damu Smith, national co-coordinator for the April 20th mobilization and coordinator of Black Voices for Peace. "Let's invest in education and health care, instead of war, and in eradicating hunger and disease around the world, instead of war, and in our children's safety, instead of war." For more information, visit www.unitedwemarch.org.