On
the anniversary of seven years of war in Iraq, CODEPINK women in
Washington, D.C. and across America will honor this tragic anniversary
with a march in the nation's capitol and a special "Women Say No To
War: Building Peace in War Zones Around the World" event with
award-winning author of the Vagina Monologues Eve Ensler, award-winning
journalist Amy Goodman, Immigration activist Pramila Jayapal,
Congresswoman Donna Edwards and more at Busboys & Poets, owned by
Iraqi-American, DC entrepreneur Andy Shallal. CODEPINK women
will join the many demonstrations occurring across the country,
connecting the failing U.S. economy with continued military spending
and the largest Pentagon budget in history.
WHAT: CODEPINK Women for Peace march on the 7th anniversary of
the Iraq War followed by an evening celebrating women peacemakers Eve
Ensler, Amy Goodman and more. The march in DC is in
conjunction with events nationwide organized around the 7th anniversary
of the Iraq invasion, additionally calling for an end to the occupation
of
Afghanistan.
WHEN:
March 20, march starts 12pm and "Women Say No To War: Building Peace in
War Zones Around the World" event starts at 7pm (event is free and open
to the community)
WHERE: March & Rally--CODEPINK to gather at St. Johns Church
on H & 16th Sts NW, Evening Event--Busboys & Poets 1025 5th NW (@ K St NW)
"As the hope of a
new administration leading us towards peace has faded, it is clear that
only way we will bring our troops home is to organize the silent
majority opposed to the needless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan", states
Medea Benjamin cofounder of Global Exchange and CODEPINK. "On the 7th
anniversary of the Iraq war, we are determined to bring the voices of
Main Street to the halls of power to say: Stop funding the warfare
state and redirect our resources to life-affirming activities".
March
20th marks six years of war in Iraq, over 8 years of war in
Afghanistan, thousands of troops dead, between 100,000 and 1million
Iraqi and Afghan civilians dead. At home Americans are suffering from
joblessness while being asked by the Obama Administration to endure a
domestic spending freeze and the largest Pentagon spending budget to
date. With these anniversary actions, communities are demanding an end
to a war-torn economy and a refocus on our economic and social
priorities here at home.
From Daytona Beach, FL to Troy, MI, cities across the country activists
and concerned citizens will rally and march on Saturday, March 20, in
opposition to the ongoing occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan and
calling for soldiers and desperately needed funds to return to the US.
Mass marches are planned in DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and
Chicago. For a full listing of actions please see
www.codepinkalert.org/calendar and
http://pjep.org/announcements/?id=961. Founded
in the lead up to the Iraq War in 2003, CODEPINK Women for Peace has
become a vibrant, creative voice in the peace movement, an outlet
especially for women in the United States and worldwide.