Sept 29th - March on Washington

Momentum is growing for the national mass March on Washington on September 29, with hundreds of endorsements pouring in. Since April, when TONC proposed the Encampment to Stop the War and the March on Washington, activists across from across the U.S. have been contacting us to support the call for united, grassroots action to put an end to Bush's criminal war.

It is now painfully clear that waiting for the Democrats to "do the right thing" is a waste of time and energy. Despite being elected with a clear mandate to end the war, Democrats in Congress have continued to fund the war. If they had any intention whatsoever of ending the criminal occupation of Iraq, the troops could already be home now; instead, they have bent over backwards to vote for the funding, while counting on the antiwar movement to stand down and follow them blindly into the voting booth next November. Meanwhile, every 10 minutes another Iraqi dies, and the U.S. spends $100,000 a minute on the war, money that is desperately needed for health care, housing, education, jobs at a living wage, rebuilding the Gulf Coast, and many other human needs.

Only a massive grassroots tidal wave of resistance will put an end to the brutal occupation of Iraq. September will be the next big struggle over funding for the war - and the next opportunity for us to unite to go from protest to resistance. It is not enough to just march and go home; we need to occupy the occupiers.

The Troops Out Now, working with other national and local organizations, is moving forward to build a week of resistance in Washington DC. Beginning on September 22, we will erect an Encampment to Stop the War, directly in front of the Capitol. Activists from across the U.S. are planning to set up tents and displays at the Encampment. Grassroots and community organizations are organizing their own tents to highlight issues they are focusing on. Musicians, spoken word artists, and poets are organizing "Culture and Resistance" for the Encampment. Youth activists are organizing a student strike. During the week of the Encampment, activists are planning a series of dramatic protests and direct actions as part of the move from protest to resistance. We cannot allow the corporate politicians (of both parties) to continue with 'business as usual' as they continue to orchestrate the deaths of more Iraqi people and U.S. soldiers.

Then, to cap off this first week of a new phase of struggle, we will march from the Capitol to the White House on September 29, to demand the immediate, complete, and unconditional withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Iraq.

As we are building for the national March on Washington on September 29 and the Encampment to Stop the War, it is vital that we work to link the struggles against the war abroad and the war at home. The movement is stronger and more effective when the struggles are united:

- Stop the raids against immigrant workers -- Full rights for undocumented workers
- No War against Iran
- End all occupations now - from Iraq to Palestine, the Philippines, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Afghanistan
- Impeach Bush & Cheney for War Crimes
- No to U.S. intervention – Hands off Cuba, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, and the Sudan
- Justice for Katrina survivors
– End racist police terror
- Free Mumia Abu-Jamal and all political prisoners
- Money for health care, jobs and education, not endless war