Monday, June 27, 2011

408. Call for International Protests on the NATO Makers, May 15 and 22, 2012


UNAC April anti-war demonstration in New York City
Call For International Protests on the NATO War Makers, 
Chicago, May 15 and 22, 2012


Dear friends,
An alliance of Chicago area peace and justice organizations, together with the United National Antiwar Committee (UNAC), are jointly calling for a united mass mobilization to protest the NATO and G8 Summits to be held in Chicago May 15 to 22. Permit applications were submitted for:
                Tuesday, May 15 – a national assembly to put the warmakers on trial.
                Saturday, May 19 – a major international demonstration to express broad outrage at the gathering of war makers wasting trillions of dollars on war and devastation during a time of enormous economic hardship and crisis for millions.
Several Chicago area groups have co-sponsored this call. The initial list is below. To add your group to the list of endorsers, email UNACpeace@gmail.com.
NATO is the US-commanded and financed 28-nation military alliance. There will also be a summit of the G-8 world powers. The meetings are expected to draw heads of state, generals, and countless others.
At a day-long meeting in New York City on Saturday, June 18, the United National Antiwar Committee’s national coordinating committee of 69 participants, representing 47 organizations, unanimously passed a resolution to call for action at the NATO meeting.
UNAC will mount a massive united outpouring in Chicago during the NATO gathering to put forth demands opposing endless wars and calling for billions spent on war and destruction be spent instead on people’s needs for jobs, health care, housing and education.
Initial List of Chicago Area Endorsers
                Hatem Abudayyeh, *US Palestinian Community Network, Chicago
                Bill Chambers, Committee Against Political Repression
                Sarah Chambers, Executive Board Member, Chicago Teachers Union
                Mark Clements, Campaign to End the Death Penalty
                Vince Emmanuelle, *Iraq Veterans Against the War
                Randy Evans, Global Reach, Inc.
                Chris Geovanis, Hammerhard Media Works
                Pat Hunt, Chicago Area Code Pink, Chicago Area Peace Action
                Joe Iosbaker, Committee to Stop FBI Repression
                Dennis Kosuth, *National Nurses United, union steward
                Kait McIntyre, Students for a Democratic Society, University of Illinois – Chicago
                Jorge Mujica, March 10th Immigrant Rights Activist
                Eric Ruder, *Chicago Network to Send US Boat to Gaza
                Newland Smith, Episcopalian Peace Fellowship
                Sarah Smith, Committee to Stop FBI Repression
                Students for Justice in Palestine at School of the Art Institute of Chicago
                Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, *Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign
                Andy Thayer, Gay Liberation Network and Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism
*for identification purposes only
UNAC RESOLUTION TO CHALLENGE THE NATO WAR MAKERS
Whereas, the U.S. is the major and pre-eminent military, economic and political power behind NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), and
Whereas, the U.S. will be hosting a major NATO gathering in the spring of 2012, and
Whereas, U.S. and NATO-allied forces are actively engaged in the monstrous wars, occupations and military attacks on Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, the Middle East and elsewhere,
Be it resolved that:
1.              UNAC, in conjunction with a broad range of groups and organizations that share general agreement with the major demands adopted at our 2010 Albany, NY national conference, initiate a mass demonstration at the site of the NATO gathering, and
2.             UNAC welcomes and encourages the participation of all groups interested in mobilizing against war and for social justice in planning a broad range of other NATO meeting protests including teach-ins, alternative conferences and activities organized on the basis of direct action/civil resistance, and
3.             UNAC will seek to make the NATO conference the occasion for internationally coordinated protests, and
4.             UNAC will convene a meeting of all of the above forces to discuss and prepare initial plans to begin work on this spring action.
Passed unanimously by the National Coordinating Committee of UNAC on June 18, 2011
The following groups were at the UNAC meeting that endorsed this resolution:
                Action for a Progressive Pakistan
                Al-Awda Palestine Right to Return Coalition – NY
                Bayan-USA
                Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace
                Bail Out the People Movement
                Black Agenda Report
                Black is Back
                Boston Stop the Wars
                Code Pink
                Committee to Stop FBI Repression
                Ct. United for Peace
                Fellowship of Reconciliation
                Freedom Road Socialist Organization
                Green Party
                Haiti Liberte'
                Hampshire Students for Justice in Palestine
                Honduras Resistencia - USA
                International Action Center
                International Support Haiti Network
                International League of People’s Struggle
                International Socialist Organization
                Islamic Leadership Council of Metropolitan NY
                Jersey City Peace Movement
                May 1st Workers and Immigrant Rights Coalition
                Mobilization Against War and Occupation – Canada
                Metro West Peace Action
                Middle East Crisis Committee
                Muslim Peace Coalition
                New England United
                Nodutdol Korean Community Development
                Pakistan Solidarity Network
                Philly Against War
                Project Salam
                Rhode Island Mobilization Committee
                Rochester Against War
                SI – Solidarity with Iran
                Socialist Action
                Socialist Party USA
                Thomas Merton Center Pittsburgh
                United for Justice and Peace
                Veterans for Peace
                Voices for Creative Nonviolence
                West Hartford Citizens for Peace
                WESPAC
                Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
                Workers World
                World Can’t Wait
For more information:
Joe Lombardo, 518-281-1968, UNACpeace@gmail.com Joe Iosbaker, 773-301-0109, joeiosbaker@gmail.com

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