Tent City to Protest War

END THE OCCUPATIONS AND STOP BUSH'S THREAT OF WORLD WAR III AGAINST
IRAN - WORK FOR SOLUTIONS TO CLIMATE CHANGE, POVERTY AND HUNGER.

We can start building a world with peace, healthcare, education, food,
housing, a safe environment, and democracy. Experience the power of
nonviolent social change and the joy of building a community of
resisitance. Activists with an number of organizations including the
Washington Peace Center, CodePink DC, Washington Homes Not Jails,
Propositon One and Food Not Bombs met this May in Washington DC to plan
some of the logistics for the Tent City Protest. Proposition One has
been protesting everyday outside the White House for over 25 years. We
agreed to start the main action the August 6th to give us more time to
plan. Everyone is invited to gather at outside the White House at noon.

WHY DO WE NEED A TENT CITY PROTEST
The U.S. and Israel are planning to bomb Iran. This could cause the
global economy to crash. We are facing a crisis. Millions of Americans
are losing their homes and jobs as the federal government spends
billions on illegal wars and domestic repression. The presidential
candidates are offering no solutions to the failing economy or
addressing the crisis of climate change. They are calling for war
against Iran which could bring the world to economic crisis. Twenty
percent of the world's oil would be cut do to this conflict. Oil prices
are already causing hunger and driving millions into extreme poverty.
"That starts with ensuring Israel's qualitative military advantage. I
will ensure that Israel can defend itself from any threat from Gaza to
Tehran. Defense cooperation between the United States and Israel is a
model of success, and must be deepened. As president, I will implement
a Memorandum of Understanding that provides $30 billion in assistance
to Israel over the next decade investments to Israel's security that
will not be tied to any other nation. First, we must approve the
foreign aid request for 2009. Going forward, we can enhance our
cooperation on missile defense. We should export military equipment to
our ally Israel under the same guidelines as NATO. And I will always
stand up for Israel's right to defend itself in the United Nations and
around the world. Finally, let there be no doubt: I will always keep
the threat of military action on the table to defend our security and
our ally Israel."

LOCATIONS TO MEET IN WASHINGTON DC
We invite you to join us outside the White House at Lafayette Park at
the Proposition One Vigil.Lafayette Square is a seven-acre public park
located directly north of the White House on H Street between 15th and
17th Streets, NW. When arriving in Washington DC you can stop at the
CodePink House at 712 5th St NE between G&H (5 blocks from Union
Station- Red Line) Please call the house at 202.290.1301 or email the
house at dc[at]codepinkalert.org. The house will be closed on June 28th
through July 4th but you are free to stop by before the Tent City
Protest or during the rest of the summer. You can also check in at the
Washington Peace Center at 1233 12th Street, NW, downstairs. Call the
Washington Peace Center at 202/234-2000 or email them at wpc(at)igc.org


WHAT YOU CAN BRING TO THE TENT CITY PROTEST
At first because of the laws against camping in Washington DC we
invite you to bring a life size card board image of a tent as well as a
pop-up tent that you can set up on the street. Food Not Bombs plans to
provide vegetarian meals so a bowl, cup and silverware is helpful. Also
bring a sleeping bag and plastic to cover yourself in the rain. if you
can help cook and have a propane stove, pots, spices and other cooking
equipment that is also helpful. Those interested in First Aid can bring
medical supplies. Bring a sign to announce the name of your
organization. Music, puppets, street theater is also welcome. Water
jugs are also very important as the summer is very warm in Washington
DC.


Join the Tent City Protest to stop the U.S. attack on Iran, to end the
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while showing that we can create world
free from domination, coercion and violence.

WHY ARE TENT CITY PROTEST EFFECTIVE
While marches, vigils and rallies are important the Bush
administration has shown it can ignore these one day events. On the
other hand long ongoing actions are impossible to turn a blind eye too.
Tent City Protests during the Orange Revolution in the Ukraine, Camp
Casey in Crawford, Texas, the 27 day Tent City Actions in San Francisco
and the 600 day farmer's action at the Bosnia and Herzegovina Square in
Sarajevo were powerful and inspired change. Activists are also planning
to organize Tent City Protests outside military installations, federal
buildings and U.S. embassies. All peace and social action groups are
invited to join in the tent city protest.

There is a vigorous debate about what strategy might work to end the
crisis caused by the "war on terrorism." Rallies, marches and petitions
haven't done enough to stop torture, secret prisons, the use of cluster
bombs against civilians, wire tapping and data collection, laws such as
the Military Commissions Act and the Violent Radicalization and
Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. At the same time actions to
protect the environment, healthcare, education and housing haven't been
successful. One strategy that has proven effective at bringing positive
social change has been the tent city protest.

We are facing an urgent crisis. Bush is talking of World War III
against Iran using nuclear weapons, the global economy is failing for
most, climate change continues to become more urgent and the U.S.
empire is using every measure possible to protect its power. Bush has
pointed to the power of tent city protests to bring political change.
Lets show him that we can also bring democracy and peace to the United
States. Join us in participating in the Tent City Protest. CONTACT YOUR
LOCAL PROGRESSIVE GROUPS AND ORGANIZE A MEETING IN YOUR COMMUNITY!

LOOK AT THE POWER OF PAST TENT CITY PROTESTS
• The 2005 Palestinian / Israeli Peace Camp and actions to plant
olive trees for peace united the community
• The tent city protest outside the Parliament Building in Kiev
during the Orange Revolution restored the democracy of the Ukraine.
• Thousands of protesters joined Cindy Sheehan's Camp Casey outside
Bush's Ranch in Crawford, Texas. Her tent city protest brought our
opposition to the war to world attention.
• The National Coalition for the Homeless organized 250,000 to appear
in Washington, D.C., in October 1989 with its Housing Now! March.
• A coalition of homeless and peace groups organized the 27 day Tent
City protest for homeless peoples rights in San Francisco in 1989 which
ended the police violence and opened additional homeless programs.
• The 600 day tent city action at the Bosnia and Herzegovina Square
in Sarajevo. The action was organized by the Sarajevo collective
'food-not bombs!,' with the goal to support the informal citizen group
that has been gathering as of December 2005 in front of the Square of
the earlier BH Parliament, and in order to simply discuss and publicly
talk about the problems that bear a heavy weight on the majority of the
Bosnia and Herzegovina citizens, female, male, and surely all others.

Imagine a tent city that provides universal healthcare, education,
cultural events, free organic meals, solar energy and provides an
example of the world we can have if we stop spending our wealth on war.

BUILD THE WORLD WE KNOW IS POSSIBLE

PLEASE JOIN US THIS SUMMER
STARTS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2008 OUTSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE
YOU CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!



THE TENT CITY PROTEST IS ENDORSED BY: Voices for Creative Nonviolence,
Venice Santa Monica Food Not Bombs, Code Pink DC, The Iraq Moratorium,
Arlington Food Not Bombs, PeaceMajority Report, A Window on the Peace
Community in America, The Food Not Bombs Menu, Dayton Food Not Bombs,
Moscow Food Not Bombs, Proposition One, Washington Homes Not Jails.
Please contact us to endorse this powerful action.


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PLEASE ENDORSE THE TENT CITY PROTEST


The Tent City Protest 2008
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