Iraq war protests planned for 12th anniversary

By David Swanson

Four days of anti-war and pro-peace events are planned in Washington, D.C., marking the 12-year point since the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.

More information, including the long list of participating organizations: http://SpringRising.org

Full schedule of events: http://cindysheehanssoapbox.com/schedule-of-events.html

A rally and march will begin at the White House at noon on Saturday, March 21.

The rally and march will be preceded by three days of activities including a concert on March 18, lobbying and a tour of war sites on March 19, and teach-ins on the evening of the 19th and all day on March 20th.

Spring Rising is intended as an antiwar intervention into the world capital of war-making. The U.S. has spread its military across the globe and is engaged in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and, via drone strikes, in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia. The U.S. government is provoking Russia in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, pushing for another coup in Venezuela, and expanding its military presence in Asia and Africa. The one war the U.S. President seems interested in avoiding — with Iran — a group of Senators has now taken it upon themselves to strive to bring into being. Meanwhile, Congress is debating whether to authorize more war making, while the President has made clear the wars will continue regardless of Congress, the United Nations, the rule of law, strategic common sense, or of course basic human morality.

“I have been encouraged and inspired here in the ‘Homeland,'” said Cindy Sheehan, “by the unrest opposing the apparent impunity with which white cops get to murder unarmed black men. I support these protests and tactics 100%, but my question is, with the U.S. War OF Terror raging against Arabs/Muslims all over the Middle East and Africa, what will it take for the same kind of protests opposing the crimes of Empire to arise? Spring Rising is that opportunity to show our solidarity with the world.”

“An intervention is needed in Washington,” said David Swanson, “when the debate ranges all the way from sending U.S. ground troops into Iraq and Syria to sending in U.S. planes and somebody else’s ground troops — and with both sides openly admiting that their plan won’t work. If the definition of insanity is expecting a different result from the same behavior, the definition of mindlessness should be expecting the same horrible result but continuing anyway.”

Participants in Spring Rising are available for interviews and can connect you with many others coming from far and wide to participate.

Cindy Sheehan is an internationally renowned peace and social justice activist whose oldest son Casey was killed in Iraq on April 04, 2004. She set up a peace camp know as Camp Casey near the faux-ranch of then president George W. Bush in Crawford, Texas, in the summer of 2005. [email protected] 562-500-9079.

Nick Mottern has worked as a reporter, researcher, writer and political organizer over the last 30 years. He manages ConsumersForPeace.org and KnowDrones.com. He is also an organizer of the Boycott and Divest Honeywell campaign, begun in 2014 because of the firm’s involvement in drone wars. [email protected] 914-806-6179.

Debra Sweet is the Director of World Can’t Wait. Since the age of 19, when she confronted Richard Nixon during a face-to-face meeting and told him to stop the war in Vietnam, she has been a leader in the opposition to U.S. wars and invasions. In 2012, Debra was named Humanist Heroine of the Year by the Feminist Caucus of the American Humanist Association. [email protected] 718-809-3803.

David Swanson is a cofounder and the director of World Beyond War, an author, activist, journalist, and radio host. His books include War Is A Lie. He blogs at DavidSwanson.org and WarIsACrime.org. He hosts Talk Nation Radio. He is a 2015 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee.[email protected] 202-329-7847.

Robert Fantina is an author and journalist who has written extensively about the Israeli occupation, the immorality of U.S. imperialism, and the political situation in the United States. His most recent book is Empire, Racism and Genocide: A History of U.S. Foreign Policy. A U.S. citizen, he moved to Canada following the election of George Bush in 2004. [email protected] 226-339-1981.