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| UNAC April anti-war demonstration in New York City |
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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