DC Metro Action is a listing of local actions, entertainment, volunteer opportunities and the occasional rant on a wide range of socially just issues.
contact me at dcmetroaction@comcast.net
Action of the Day Many of these action alerts are found on the listservs and websites of organizations listed in our "Act Locally" section (Left).
Monday, March 31, 2003
Can We Avoid a Fare Hike?
Join the Washington Regional Network for Livable Neighborhoods (WRN) for presentations and a discussion about how to best address Metro’s funding problems and improve service. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has proposed raising bus and rail fares to meet half of a $48 million operating budget shortfall. WRN Executive Director Cheryl Cort will present its proposal to meet the budget deficit without raising fares. Metro board members from D.C., Maryland and Virginia also will discuss their views on fare hikes, service changes and opportunities for improved performance of the transit system.
The event takes place Wednesday, April 2, at the University of the District of Columbia at 4200 Connecticut Ave. NW, Bldg. 44 A-03 (Van Ness/UDC Metro Station: from the UDC Metro exit, turn left then right on Van Ness Street and go to the second building on the right).
Refreshments will be served at 6:30 p.m.; the discussion starts at 7 p.m. To RSVP, call 202/667–5445 or send an e-mail here.
Join thousands of high school and college students on a march through Washington to the Supreme Court to demand that the high court uphold affirmative action in the University of Michigan cases. On Tuesday, April 1, gather at the Supreme Court at East Capitol and First Streets NE from 9 a.m. to noon, then march to the Lincoln Memorial for a 1 p.m. rally. For more information, click here.
On April Fool's Day, Tell President Bush: "We Ain't Foolin'. Stop The War!"
While the Bush administration pushes for a multitrillion-dollar tax cut and a $75 billion war chest, working families here at home need good jobs, health care, schools and pensions.
This April Fool's Day, come out with union members, friends and allies and prove the joker in the White House wrong. Tell Bush, "We ain't foolin'. Stop the war!" on Tuesday, April 1 at 5 p.m. at Farragut Square (17th Street between I and K Streets NW). The action is sponsored by the DC Labor Committee for Peace and Justice.
A direct action prep meeting will be held on Monday. March 31, at 7 p.m. at St. Stephen’s Church, 16th and Newton Streets NW.
The DC Action Medical Network is sponsoring a free, three-day seminar for anyone who wants to volunteer to be a street medic for demonstrations or direct actions. The 24 hours of training on March 28, 29 and 30 at George Washington University is also open to anyone who just wants to brush up on their first aid skills. No previous medical experience is necessary, though people with training in traditional and alternative medicine and first aid are encouraged to attend.
The training format is highly interactive and includes practice scenarios and role playing. Basic street first aid, street operations tactics, psychological first aid, chemical weapons treatments and aftercare, and stress management are among the topics that will be covered.
The training is limited to 30 people, and registration requires a commitment to attend all three sessions in their entirety. Spots are filling up fast, so sign up as soon as possible. To register or for more information, send an e-mail here, or call John Cluverius at 202/242-5248.
Please, can someone explain how and why the American people can't or won't see through this sham of a government the Supreme Court has given us?
First, I read that post-war Iraq won't initially be administered by the United Nations, but rather solely controlled by the United States, with civilian administrators handpicked by the White House to oversee Iraq's "redevelopment." Then, I read on CNN/Money that the first contracts for rebuilding post-war Iraq have been awarded. And guess who is first in line to reap profit? Halliburton, whose former CEO is now Vice President Dick Cheney.
Last weekend, the United States dropped more than 1,500 bombs and missiles on Baghdad, a city the size of Los Angeles. In Basra, a city of one million, U.S. military actions left the civilian population without water and electricity.
But what are the images that CNN is broadcasting? American viewers get a video war with commentary from former military generals and journalists "imbedded" with the U.S. military -- the version of the war that the U.S. government wants us to see.
How many houses have been destroyed? How many Americans and Iraqis have been killed? What was it like for children who heard bombs exploding around them all day long? What is happening in Basra without water and electricity? Who are the people that are filling the hospitals?
Join Code Pink in a nationwide rally and picket CNN to demand that this worldwide news network provide Americans with the images of war that people in other parts of the world are already seeing. War is not pretty, but journalism is about reporting the truth, whether it's pretty or not.
On Wednesday, March 25, meet at the Code Pink office at 733 15th St. NW, Room 507, at 1:30 p.m. to pick up signs and prepare for a 2 p.m. departure. Or meet in front of CNN at 820 First St. NE at 3 p.m.
Mothertongue focuses on the voices of women by providing opportunities for women in the Washington, DC, metro area to write, present and listen to spoken-word performers. The group believes in the creation of a just and inclusive community where everyone has adequate resources, access and opportunities. Created and staffed completely by volunteers, Mothertongue donates the profits from its events to community-based nonprofit organizations that improve the lives of women and/or girls in the DC area.
Come to the first-ever Mothertongue volunteer night. Meet current volunteers and board members and find out about its programs and volunteer needs on Thursday, March 27, at 7 p.m., at the Whitman Walker LSP building at 1432 U St. NW. No commitment is required; just come and see if volunteering with Mothertongue is for you.
For questions or to RSVP, e-mail Nicole or call her at 202/299-0838.
We were told that the Iraqi people would welcome us as liberators, yet the media reported yesterday that a U.S. Apache helicopter was shot down by Iraqi farmers, who immediately called the Iraqi army to take the two-member crew into custody.
One of the Americans missing after a supply convoy made a "wrong" turn is a 19-year-old woman from West Virginia, whose father said she enlisted because there were no job opportunities in her hometown. And Joanne wrote of the story of POW Joseph Hudson, 23, whose mother insists Hudson joined the military first and foremost for a "good future."
We're both sickened by an Army that markets itself as an easy way out of poverty.
Students Not Soldiers is a new campaign co-sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee and CHOICES, a project of the Washington Peace Center, which focuses on working with youths around issues of military recruitment such as the No Child Left Behind Act, JROTC and recruiter and counter-recruiter access to schools. Students Not Soldiers have developed a postcard that allows students to legally refuse to have their contact information released to recruiters. They want to collect hundreds of these and turn them over to DC Superintendent of Schools Paul Vance to convince him, the DC School Board and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton that all students and parents must be notified of their right to refuse to release information to recruiters. They need help with this campaign. Contact Trent Moyer, AFSC-DC, at 202/299-1050, or John Judge, Washington Peace Center, at 202/234-2000.
"Naturally, the common people don't want war, but after all, it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag people along whether it is a democracy, or a facist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country."
Hermann Goering, Hitler's Reich-Marshall at the Nuremberg Trials after WWII
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to focus on anything other than the carnage we are heaping upon the Middle East, all in the name of freedom no less. I am overwhelmed with anger, frustration and embarrassment. I know that many of you feel the same way, so please – a thousand times please – find your favorite candidate for president and work for her or him harder than you’ve ever worked before. Send Bush back to Texas, make him work on his ranch.
The Stand Up! for Democracy in DC CoalitionThe is looking for a few good volunteers ready and willing to serve in the struggle for freedom and equality right here in the nation’s capital.
Come to the next meeting of the Stand Up! coalition on Tuesday, March 25, at 6:30 p.m. at the National Council of Negro Women, 633 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. On the agenda: DC goes to war with no vote, outreach to the community, tax day, DC emancipation day and school vouchers. For more information, call 202/232-2500.
At 10 last night, a talking head on the tube said the President had been busy working the phones all day, but was now finished and had retired to his residence. The head also said that W will be spending the weekend at Camp David. Peace activists seem to be working much harder than the President.
From Eastern Market to the Key Bridge, from Dupont Circle to Lafayette Park, Washington’s peace community was out in force yesterday.
Veterans Against the War has scheduled three days of peaceful actions starting Saturday. All veterans, active-duty GIs reservists, family members and supporters are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Teach-In & Speak-Out Saturday, March 22, 1-5 p.m. American University-Kay Chapel.
Demonstration Sunday, March 23 Assemble at noon at Constitution Gardens. Proceed solemnly to the Vietnam, Korea & WW II Memorials, march to the Veterans Administration and White House, and then rally on the Ellipse.
Lobbying Monday, March 24 Congressional lobbying from the base of operations at the Friends Committee on National Legislation offices located at 245 Second Ave. NE (at the corner of C Street, across from the Hart Senate Building). A briefing will be held at 9 a.m.
Wear your medals, ribbons, uniforms, veteran organization colors, etc., and bring flags, banners and signs.
Spurred on by grassroots energy, the DC City Council recently voted to make DC's presidential primary the first in the nation -- and put a spotlight on the city's lack of congressional representation and full local self-government. But now the national Democratic and Republican parties are threatening to ignore the results of the primary. They are insisting that they decide the timing of the primary -- not the residents of DC.
That's right. Washington, DC -- the nation's capital -- doesn't have a vote in the Senate, and it doesn't have a vote in the House. And now powerbrokers for political parties are trying to take away DC's presidential primary vote as well.
Tell the party officials you support the "DC First" primary, that it is high time for full democracy for DC, and that you won't stand by and let them ignore the few rights DC residents still possess. Visit the DC First website and send the heads of the Democratic and Republican parties an e-mail, telling them to put DC first.
This is not just for residents of Washington, so point your family and friends from across the country to this link and ask them to take action, too.
These last few days have been very difficult for all of us. In her Don't be a Hero blog, Joanne on Monday wrote, "Recent headlines seem to cast a shadow over all the conflicts in my life. Everything that was profound now seems silly…"
This got me thinking: Do we, as activists, have an obligation to focus all of our energies toward peace? Is the war so oppressive that everything else pales in comparison?
I developed this website to be a place where I could share ideas and opinions on how to participate locally in a diverse group of righteous actions. I never intended to make this an anti-war blog, but because local organizations and coalitions engaged in DC-based marches, rallies and demonstrations for peace, I gave them visibility here.
So, I will continue -- through the precision-guided weapons barrage -- to post local war and non-war related actions, for in truth they are one and the same. This administration has a larger agenda: make its friends even richer, and undo whatever social safety nets our neighbors need.
During the fog of war, while we cry for American and Iraqi children, let's not forget the homeless, the poor, wage slaves, single moms and working families -- because Bush, Cheney, Rove & Co. are hoping those people just fall between the cracks.
The Washington peace community has developed an emergency response to the start of the war. On the day after the formal announcement, go to these local actions:
The Shirts Off Coalition is organizing a March of Resistance at the Eastern Market Metro at 7 a.m. And at 7:30 a.m., join the Critical Mass Race Against War at Dupont Circle.
Students for Peace and Justice is calling for an emergency walkout at 1 p.m. Assemble by the flagpole at your school (or other designated location as determined by your school's activists). Everyone is to remain on school premises until the end of the day. At 4 p.m., students from all over the county and the DC metro area will meet at Judiciary Square.
The Washington Peace Center wants you to come to a "War is Not the Answer" rally at Dupont Circle at 5 p.m. There will be speakers and music. For more information, call 202/234-2000
DC Mayor Anthony Williams has proposed eliminating the Interim Disability Assistance (IDA) program as part of $231 million in citywide budget cuts. IDA gives monthly payments to help sustain people while they apply for federal disability benefits. If IDA is eliminated:
* Over 800 low-income DC residents would immediately lose their sole source of income and face homelessness, severe hardship and worsening health.
* More than 6,200 DC residents who need IDA would have no hope of future relief.
Residents with disabilities need your help. On Wednesday, March 19, rally with them at Freedom Plaza, 13th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Low- and moderate-income earners who rent face an ever more difficult quest for affordable housing here in Washington as large numbers of longtime tenants are being forced out of their homes and neighborhoods.
Washington Innercity Self Help (WISH) needs your assistance in building a Citywide Tenants Action Alliance to provide a powerful voice for disenfranchised tenants. Join with your neighbors and help stem the displacement tidal wave by creating a strong citywide organization to build power to protect yourselves.
WISH will be holding its quarterly meeting on Tuesday, March 18, at 6:30 p.m. Come make your voice heard on protecting tenants’ rights at the meeting at 1419 V St. NW For more information, call WISH at 202/332-8800.
On Sunday night, March 16, close to 7,000 peace vigils were held in 140 countries. For pictures from around the world of these solemn events, click here. And to read independent coverage and see photos from Washington’s march on Saturday and the vigil at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, check out dc indymedia .
Web developer by day, independent film director by night, Jason Buckley will screen his latest film, Washington Interns Gone Bad, on Monday, March 17, at 9 p.m. at the Black Cat, located at 1811 14th St. NW, near U. To read a review of this movie, click here.
Globally, the number of candlelight peace vigils has grown to well over 6,000 in 135 countries. See our posts below for more information.
Here in Washington, on Sunday Mar. 16, folk singers Peter, Paul, & Mary are among voices that will be lifted in an inter-faith candlelight vigil for peace at the Lincoln Memorial from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. For a complete list of the DC metro area vigils, click here.
Web developer by day, independent film director by night, Jason Buckley will screen his latest film, Washington Interns Gone Bad, on Monday, March 17, at 9 p.m. at the Black Cat, located at 1811 14th St. NW, near U. To read a review of this movie, click here.
The number of candlelight peace vigils scheduled worldwide for Sunday, March 16, have swollen in the 24 hours since I last posted. The complete count now is 2,718 vigils in 92 countries. I have added some more local vigils to yesterday's post below. To see the most up to date listing of all scheduled vigils in the Washington area, click here.
We have a unique vantage point living here in the capital, bearing witness to history firsthand. How cool would it have been to have strolled down to the Reflecting Pool 40 years ago to hear Dr. King have a dream? Who knows what we might miss by letting other people march? We need to lend our energies to do what's right, to stand and be counted.
The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition and other organizations are calling for an Emergency National Anti-War Convergence to take place at the White House on Saturday, March 15. Meet at noon at the Washington Monument, Constitution Avenue between 15th and 17th streets NW.
On Sunday, March 16, we have the opportunity to join with peace activists around the world and attend a 7 p.m. candlelight vigil for peace.
Co-sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee, Win Without War, Move On, Desmond Tutu and many other faith-based groups, this truly global effort will include almost 700 vigils in 48 countries. These will be peaceful vigils, not rallies. The power of this event lies in its numbers and its silence. The tone of these vigils is somber and strong.
Here are the local locations:
Washington, DC
Lincoln Memorial on the Mall, 6-8 p.m. Folk singers Peter, Paul, & Mary are among the voices that will be lifted at an interfaith candlelight vigil for peace in the nation's capital. The American Friends Service Committee is a sponsor of the Washington, DC, vigil.
Dupont Circle, 7 p.m. Fill the circle with the light of hope.
Glover Park, 7 p.m. 39th and Calvert streets NW A peaceful gathering for peace, with candles and open hearts for the world.
Arlington, Va.
Corner of Columbia Pike and S. Joyce St., 7 p.m. Meet on the grassy hill that faces the Pentagon across the intersection from the Navy Annex gas station. Park for free at Pentagon City Mall or take Metro to Pentagon City. Cross Army-Navy Drive and walk down S. Joyce Street under the 395 overpass. Pass the gas station and look to your left; the grassy hill is across Columbia Pike. Be mindful that this area is the property of the US Navy, so be respectful and don't make this a demonstration. DO NOT park in the parking lots in front of this area; those lots are restricted Navy property.
Alexandria, Va., Old Town, Market Square
King Street between N. Fairfax and N. Royal, 7 p.m. Meet in front of City Hall, at the square with a large fountain.
Bethesda, Md.
Bethesda and Woodmont avenues, 7 p.m. Regular Sunday evening vigils have been taking place here since Dec. 29, 2002
Wheaton, Md.
General Getty Park, 10000 Woodland Ave., 7 p.m. Meet at the gazebo. Getty Park is one block north of Forest Glen Metro station on Georgia Avenue.
The Gray Panthers of Metropolitan Washington will celebrate 30 years of progressive social activism with a Thirtieth Anniversary Benefit Concert on Saturday, March 15, at 7 p.m. The concert, which will be held at the Potters House Coffee House at 1658 Columbia Rd. NW, will feature a performance by Pam Parker and Friends, featuring Steve Jones. Pam is a progressive performer whose new CD, "Working Class," features songs dedicated to working people’s struggles. The suggested sliding scale contribution is $10 per ticket. For more information, call 202/347-9541.
In response to the dramatically hawkish Washington Post editorials, DC activists will hold a "die-in" on Wednesday, March 12, at noon at the Washington Post building. The Post editorials are responsible for legitimating the Bush Administration's push toward an unjustified war in Iraq that will kill U.S. soldiers and thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians.
"We're going to hold the Post accountable for their pro-war editorials. They seem to have forgotten the social costs of war, but we will have body bags, bloody newspapers and civil disobedience to remind them," says Damu Smith, founder of Black Voices for Peace.
The Washington Post is located at 1150 15th St. NW.
For more information, contact Damu Smith, 202/246-3107, or Jason Kafoury, 202/387-8030.
To read the full press release, click here. A recent Post editorial can be found here.
Seeking relief from a deep economic depression, 500 unemployed citizens from across the country -- led by Ohio businessman Jacob Coxey -- marched into the District of Columbia on May 1, 1894. Waiting for them at the U.S. Capitol were 1,500 soldiers. As Coxey attempted to address the protesters, he was arrested for walking on the grass.
This was the first of what is not only an American tradition, but a right -- the right to march on Washington and stand together in protest, protected by the Constitution as we have our say on how we are governed.
The Catholic University of America department of history, in cooperation with the Graduate Student Association and the Association of History Graduate Students, invites you to a free reception and lecture by Dr. Lucy Barber on her book, "Marching on Washington: The Forging of an American Political Tradition," on Wednesday, March 12, at 5:15 p.m. The event takes place at Catholic University, 620 Michigan Ave. NE, in the Herzfeld Auditorium, Room 108 of Hannan Hall. Take Metro's Red Line to the Brookland-CUA station; bear left when you exit the station.
Nearly a third of non-elderly people in the United States had no health insurance for all or part of 2001-02, according to a report from the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation, prepared by Families USA for Cover the Uninsured Week. Most of these people were unemployed, low-wage earners or employed by small businesses, but even among people earning four times the poverty level, 16 percent went without coverage.
In DC, the percentage of people under the age of 65 who were uninsured for six months or longer in 2001-02 was 70 percent. These people are at risk of devastating health and financial consequences. Our uninsured neighbors often find themselves without a source of medical care other than the emergency room and so go without preventative care and screenings. They are sicker and die earlier than those with health coverage.
Without getting into a debate about government's responsibilities to provide health insurance for all of its citizens, we, as individuals, have an obligation to care about these people, to learn about the enormous numbers of families affected, and to help spread this dialog. Collectively, we can have an impact.
What You Can Do
* Volunteer at a Local Free Clinic
Zacchaeus Free Clinic 1525 Seventh St. NW Telephone: 202/265-2400 Director: Dr. Randi Abramson
La Clinica del Pueblo Inc. 1470 Irving St. NW Telephone: 202/462-4788 Director: Juan Romagoza M.D.
Washington Free Clinic 1525 Newton St. NW Telephone: 202/667-1106 Director: Caroline Gardner
* Go to a Town Hall Meeting
On Monday, March 10, at 2 p.m. attend a town hall meeting at the Studio Theater, 14 and P Streets, NW, with approximately 100 people from the DC health care community as well as local government and political leaders. The event will resemble a talk show with DC Mayor Anthony Williams as the guest and Dr. Gloria Brathwaite-Wilder, a local provider for uninsured children, as the host. If you can’t make it, watch it on the mayor's cable TV station, Wednesday, March 12, at 8 p.m. For more information, contact Rob Langelier at 202/638-0252, ext. 102, or e-mail him here.
On Tuesday, March 11, a town hall meeting will be held at the research building of the Georgetown University Medical Center, Center for Clinical Bioethics, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call Jen Olsen at 202/572-2907 or e-mail her here.
Join the Washington Buddhist Peace Fellowship on Saturday, March 8, for a "peace walk." The event starts at noon at the National Cathedral, at Wisconsin and Massachusetts Avenues NW, and moves to the Islamic Center and then on to the White House. For more information, contact Mary Conley at 202/494-7867.
On Saturday, March 8, Amnesty International USA will hold a free International Women's Day celebration. Elena Schitova, director of the Women's Alliance, based in Russia, will speak about domestic violence as a human rights issue there. Other speakers will include DC Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and Sheila Dauer, director of the AI USA Women's Human Rights Program. Feminist singing group Bread and Roses will perform, and the work of local artists will be featured in a silent auction. The event will be held at the Radisson Barcelo Hotel, 2121 P St. NW, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. For more information, contact Alison Kozma at 202/544-0200, ext. 307, or send an e-mail.
Protest the Fourth Estate and take nonviolent direct action against the major network news DC bureaus, whose weekly talk shows provide an unabashed and virtually unopposed platform for war propaganda to Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleeza Rice and Dick Cheney. On Sunday, March 9, meet at Farragut Square, 17th and K Streets NW, at 8 a.m. and march from there to the appropriate news station. Sponsored by the DC Anti-War Network.
Come together for a powerful gathering on Sunday, March 9. Join with Alice Walker, Hyun Kyung, Starhawk, Terry Tempest Williams and others for a spiritual celebration followed by a discussion, “Where Do We Go From Here?” It’s happening at the George Washington University Marvin Center Ballroom, 800 21st St. NW, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A $5.00 donation is requested.
Join the DC Anti-War Network in a national funeral march and memorial service for the victims of the war against Iraq, who overwhelming have been women and children. Bring pictures of Iraqi civilians, banners, homemade cardboard coffins and anything else appropriate for a memorial service and funeral march. Meet on Sunday, March 9, at 2 p.m. on the National Mall between Sixth and Seventh Streets NW.
Subject: “interesting mayoral nonsense during budget season”
”Mayor Williams has locked the third floor of the Wilson building and his office is not taking any calls, all while he is wrangling over a budget that cuts social safety nets while soliciting for a stadium for a non-existent baseball team. the city switchboard refused to patch to mayor's office today, and the direct line listed on the city website was call forwarded to the switchboard, which said the mayor is not taking calls. transparent, democratic accountable government at work.”
It's here! Saturday, March 8, is International Women's Day, and there’s a lot going on. Learn a little history, and then get started with the activities listed below.
Third-party politics in the United States and a revolution on the other side of the world led to the establishment of an annual International Women's Day on March 8.
In the early 1900s the Socialist Party of the United States of America wielded enough power to be taken seriously. In 1912 its presidential candidate, Eugene Debs, received close to a million votes. By the start of World War I, the party had two members in the U.S. House of Representatives (Meyer London and Victor Berger), more than 70 mayors, and numerous state and local legislators.
In 1908, the Socialist party took up the cause of women's suffrage, recommending that the party set aside one day every year to campaign for the right of U.S. women to vote. That year, a branch of the New York City Social Democratic Women's Society chose March 8 to sponsor a mass meeting on women's rights. The following year, the Socialists agreed to designate the last Sunday in February as National Women's Day -- a day for socialist women throughout the U.S. to hold mass meetings.
In 1910, at the Conference of Socialist Women in Copenhagen, Luise Zietz, the first woman to sit on the executive of the Social Democratic Party in Germany, proposed internationalizing the American Women's Day. Her resolution passed unanimously, as it did a few days later in the general International Socialist Congress. International Women's Day was born, but a date was not yet set. Over the next few years, it was celebrated on different days.
Then on March 8, 1917, an International Women's Day protest in Russia changed the world. Tens of thousands of Russian women left their homes and jobs to protest the terrible shortages of food, the high prices of goods, and WWI. Their action inspired the final push of a revolution spreading a general strike through Petrograd. Within a week, Czar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate.
In honor of the role women played in the Russian Revolution, International Women's Day secured its place on March 8.
11 a.m. RALLY. Come hear Alice Walker, Vandana Shiva, Janeane Garofalo, Dr. Helen Caldicott, Granny D, Barbara Ehrenreich, Rania Masri, Michelle Shocked, feminist theologian Hyun Kyung, Nobel Peace Laureate Jody Williams, Cheri Honkala, Inga Muscio, Medea Benjamin, Starhawk and many others at Malcolm X Park, on 16th between W and Euclid Streets NW.
1 p.m. MARCH.Join Code Pink for Peace and march from Malcolm X Park to encircle the White House for peace, as women say no to war and yes to policies that reflect the values of peace, compassion and generosity.
8 p.m. PARTY. Celebrate a day of actions with live music by local musicians, food and drink. Speakers from the rally will be in attendance at the party at the Josephine Butler Parks Center, 2437 15th St. NW. A $5 donation is requested.
10 p.m. DANCE. The party will really get started when they roll back the carpet to dance the night away!
Politics and Prose Bookstore is hosting a panel discussion to celebrate the return to print of Letters from Mississippi, edited by Elizabeth Sutherland Martinez, after 30 years. Hear about the stories of the young people who left their college campuses to go to Mississippi during the "Freedom Summer" of 1964. These students were agents of change in the most segregated of states, but they, too, were profoundly affected by their experiences in the Deep South. Publisher James Kates along with Heather Tobis Booth, Lawrence Guyot and Terri Shaw will comprise the panel on Wednesday, March 5, at 7 p.m. Politics and Prose is at 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW.
On Wednesday, March 5, DC Area Students for Peace will rally against the war on Iraq at Dupont Circle from 5 to 6 p.m. For more information, e-mail Cynthia Doniger here or call 202/445-0356.
Women United for Peace & Justice is holding an exhibition featuring photographs, posters and props used in demonstrations along with testimonials from women and men who have participated in the Women's Peace Vigil. A panel discussion will address women as peacemakers around the world. The event takes place Wednesday, March 5, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Martin Luther King Jr. Public Library, 901 G St. NW (Metro: Gallery Place). For more information, see this website.
The No Iraq War Sign Project is a focused effort to blanket the U.S. with red, white and blue "No Iraq War" signs. The signs are spreading around the country and have become an important symbol of opposition to a U.S. invasion of Iraq.
No Iraq War Sign needs your help to further spread the word. In Washington, pick up a sign at:
* Peace Action, 1819 H St. NW, Suite 420, 202/862-9740;
* EPIC USA, 1101 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, 202/543-6176 (Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.);
* CD Warehouse, 3001 M St. NW, 202/625-7101 (Mon.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun., 12-7 p.m.).
You can also help by telling your friends and family about this campaign. Local sign pick-up points all over the country can be found here.
DC Metro Action is published by Michael Schlesinger, a 32-year veteran of electoral and issue organizing who is committed to social justice and to increasing participation in the political process.
All original content (C) 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Michael Schlesinger
