10/24/05

More Support for the Call to Action

Russell Banks, Rosemary R. Ruether (Theologian, Professor, Claremont Graduate University Professor Emerita of Feminist Theology at Pacific School of Religion), Casey Kasem, Humboldt County CA Green Party, the D.C. Anti-War Network (DAWN), and many more have recently endorsed the Call.

Permit Granted for S.F. Rally on Nov. 2nd

San Fransisco finally gave a permit for the rally on Nov. 2nd after a battle over this. NYC has not yet approved a permit, and there is a battle shaping up to get one. If you're in NYC, you need to be part of demanding that the city give a permit to the rally and march on Nov. 2nd.

10/23/05

NEW CHAPTERS

NEW CHAPTERS: Albuquerque, NM; Dallas, TX; and Anacortes, WA. A Columbus, Ohio chapter is also in the works!

Travis Morales on Daily Kos

The Daily Kos, the most popular liberal political blog, put up a story about World Can't Wait and interviewed Travis Morales at the encampment outside the White House. Check it out at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/10/17/122656/24

Cindy Sheehan Calls for Protest after 2,000th US Soldier Killed in Iraq

Cindy Sheehan recently wrote, in calling for others to join in protests the day after 2,000 US soldiers have been killed in Iraq: "On the day of the 2000th, I will be in DC. I will go to the White House. Our house. I will sit on the sidewalk again and demand that the war criminals who live and work in there bring our troops home. I suggest, instead of candlelight vigils and singing 'Give Peace a Chance,' every person who cares about ending the immorality of the occupation of Iraq take signs and their presence to their Congressional offices near them and demand that each and every Congress person do everything in his/her power to bring our precious lifeblood home from the nightmare. It is time to get peacefully radicalÃ.What number are you comfortable with? One was too much for me." Join in with actions to stop the war and occupation this week and bring the World Can't Wait Call for November 2.

Audio from Bush Crimes Commission

Check out rough audio from the Bush Crimes Commission's first sessions this weekend at http://rwor.org/a/020/liveaudiocommissionbushcrimes.htm.

10/22/05

The International Commission of Inquiry On Crimes Against Humanity Committed by the Bush Administration began this weekend with a presentation of indictments for wars of aggression, torture and indefinite detention, destruction of the global environment, and attacks on global public health, as well as a special evidentiary hearing on Hurricane Katrina.

Several hundred attended this opening session of the tribunal, and many who already knew about the crimes of the Bush regime described how chilling it was to hear the extent and depth of the crimes. Hearing the stories of torture victims, or descriptions of what the people of Iraq have been subjected to, or the horrific implications of global warming and the "abstinence only" policy in Africa (which denies and obstructs the prevention and treatment of AIDS).

The evidentiary hearing on Hurricane Katrina gave a platform for the victims of the Bush regime's criminal neglect to speak, which has been so absent from the media. The tribunal heard stories that made you heart-sick, from a bus-driver who organized 200 buses to help people in New Orleans but was turned away by the government, to prisoners being left to die, to the fact the Blackwater security guards, famous for the brutality in Iraq, arrived in New Orleans before FEMA!

This historic tribunal, which is daring to indict the Bush administration while US courts justify its crimes, will continue in January. Check out www.bushcommission.org.

* * * * *

All across the country today, people took part in the 10th annual National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression, and the Criminalization of a Generation. Families of victims of police murder spoke out, youth in the inner-cities who face police brutality constantly took to the streets, and people form different walks of life joined in resistance. Check out more at www.october22.org.

* * * * *

In Los Angeles, during a film festival put on by reactionaries Michael Medved and David Horowitz, two World Can't Wait youth and student organizers went on stage and disrupted David Horowitz's speech. The organizers were dragged offstage and brutalized by the police. See more about this story on the youth and student web page later.

10/20/05

Bush Crimes Commission

International Commission of Inquiry On Crimes Against Humanity Committed by the Bush Administration opens Friday in NYC with the following indictments:
1. Wars of Aggression
2. Torture and Indefinite Detention
3. Destruction of the Global Environment
4. Attacks on Global Public Health and Reproductive Rights
with a SPECIAL EVIDENTIARY HEARING on HURRICANE KATRINA on Saturday. The Commission will convene at
the Grand Ballroom of the Manhattan Center
311 W. 34th Street, New York City
Friday, October 21st at 6pm
and Saturday, October 22nd at 10am.
More info at:http://www.bushcommission.org/.

AFSC Military Families Speak Out

AFSC, Military Families Speak Out, Gold Star Families for Peace, and Iraq Veterans Against the War are calling for people across the U.S. to stand up and say that the needless killing of U.S. troops and Iraqis must stop and that the resources funding this war are needed for other things. The day after the death toll for US troops in Iraq reaches 2,000, there will be protest actions across the country. Check http://www.afsc.org/2000/about.htm for more info.

Center for Constitutional Rights Holding a One-Day Fast

The Center for Constitutional Rights is holding a one-day fast on Nov. 1st to demand an end to the inhumane treatment, torture, and the right to due process for the detainees held by the US military at Guantanamo Bay. Detainees have been on a hunger strike since this past August. For more information, check out: http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/ccr/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1341.

New Statement From Black Law Students Assoc.

Check out a new statement from the Black Law Students Association at Columbia University here .

Katrina Victim Donates $100 from FEMA check

A Hurricane Katrina victim recently donated $100 from their FEMA check to the World Can't Wait. How much can you donate to drive out the Bush regime?

Ann Wright Visits White House Encampment

Ann Wright, a former US Ambassador who resigned in protest of the Iraq war, visited the encampment outside the White House. Check http://encampmenttodriveout.blogspot.com/ to hear an interview with her, and latest news from the encampment. On Friday there will be a speak-out to stop the International Crimes Against Humanity by the Bush regime at 5:30pm.

Frontline Special on Torture

If you watched the Frontline Special on Torture this week . . . then you know why the world can't wait.

It is quite plain, listening to testimony from former army generals in charge of the Military Police at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib and from soldiers charged with interrogating prisoners, that the torture at Abu Ghraib was not the work of a few bad apples, but was the result of government policy, forcefully and systematically directed by Rumsfeld and approved by Bush. And there is a phrase for such direct and premeditated violations of the Geneva Conventions: war crimes.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/torture/

If you didn't see the show, go to PBS.org and watch it. Then, when you're done, come back here. Get active, if you haven't already been; get more active, if you already are. Give money, if you haven't already; give more, if you have.

People, we cannot stand by and allow these crimes to go down in our name. We cannot allow these "new norms" to be established. The people responsible, beginning with Bush, must be driven from office by mass political action.

10/19/05

5 Arrested at Hunter College Protesting Torture

Tuesday afternoon at Hunter students did not just stroll to class and enter their cafeteria during their lunch break. They were confronted with 5 masked people in bright orange jump suits calling to them "Take the Leash!" 5 torture victims remained still, kneeling on the ground with their heads bowed as one victim challenged people "Take the Leash". World Can't Wait organizers fliered the onlooking crowd and powerfully challenged them "You are complicit with Torture, You are saying you are okay with Abu Ghraib unless you are resisting and mobilizing others to Drive this regime out of power, what will you be doing Nov. 2nd?" A scene started to develop and a crowd of students began to look on.

Hunter College police began cuffing the torture victims and rounding them up. A thick crowd of students in the hundreds circled the torture victims looking on as police officers pounded the victims to the ground, kneeling on them and one officer punched an arrestee in his crotch. Students witnessed the brutality, some began crying telling the officers to STOP, Stop brutalizing them. A large majority of students looked on as spectators, while World CanÃt Wait organizers challenged the crowd, "Would you stand by as they rounded up the Jews in Nazi Germany? They are rounding people up now what are you going to do? They are rounding up people right in front of your face why are you not opposing this?!" The torture victims made a very powerful stand today and were attacked by the Hunter College administration. Bold actions that can challenge people and make them question what are they going to do with their lives are what the world is calling for and we can only transform Campuses around the country on that basis.

Two arrestees are being charged with rioting, trespassing, obstructing justice and resisting arrest and still being held under arrest. We are urging anyone who is reading this to email and call the President of Hunter, get others you know to clog their mailbox and phone lines demanding that these unjust charges be dropped immediately and political dissent not be attacked on Campuses.

Hunter College President Jennifer Raab
Telephone: (212) 772-4242 Fax: (212) 772-4724
Email the President at president@hunter.cuny.edu

Get the latest updates on this, including a video of the arrests, on the student/youth page.

This was also significantly covered in the media, including on 1010 wins (the largest NYC radio station) http://1010wins.com/topstories/local_story_291153903.html, NYC Newsday, yahoo news, NYC Metro, CBS TV, and more.

At 12pm Tuesday, the Encampment outside the White House held a press conference. Three Reverends spoke today in recognition of "No Theocracy Day" including: Rev. Luis Barrios, assistant clergy at the City University of New York;Rev. Phil Wheaton, Episcopal co-pastor, Community of Christ, Washington DC; and Rev. Graylon Hagler, Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, Washington DC. Check out all Encampment press conferences at http://encampmenttodriveout.blogspot.com/. The Democracy Cell Project is also covering the Encampment on a regular basis: http://www.democracycellproject.net/blog/archives/2005/10/practicing_god.html#more

Five new chapters have been formed in the last twenty four hours in Norfolk, Appleton, Louisville, University of Toledo, and Saugerties. The group formed at the University of Toledo had actually taken part in the resistance to the Nazi march that took place this weekend in Toledo. Now they are ready to face this Fascist regime head on! Smaller places like Saugerties are organizing in their town to transport people down to the bigger event in New York City.

We are now featured on the front page of www.BushFlash.com, http://www.airamericaradio.com, and http://www.blackwednesday.org/blog/.

On Monday eighteen of the Raging Grannies between the ages of 49-90 were arrested while protesting in front of the recruiting center in Times Square. They were all wearing World Can't Wait stickers!

November 2nd will be the beginning of the end of the Bush Regime. Be part of history! Union Square Noon November 2nd.

10/17/05

Howard Zinn recorded a message to students about the World Can't Wait, calling for a new student movement to take society in a whole new direction.

On October 15th a powerful protest was held against the Minutemen Convention in Chicago. The Minutemen are a racist vigilante group that hunts down and kills immigrants at the Mexican border, and has received statements of support from the "Governator" and others in key positions of power. were holding their national conference to plan how to more systematically hunt down the people. World Can't Wait organizers joined with immigrant rights organizations and others in condemning this assault on immigrants. Five protestors were arrested, including two World Can't Wait organizers, who were singled out by police. All five were charged with resisting arrest and battery on a police officer. Contact Chicago@worldcantwait.org for more info.

Tom Morello and Ron Kovic, have signed their names on the Call.

Rev. Luis Barrios wrote a tremendous article in El Diario about Nov. 2nd. Check it out at http://www.eldiariolaprensa.com/noticias/ColumnistasDetail.aspx?TxtId=1255919&SectionId=51

World Can't Wait organizers joined up with the Millions More March this past Saturday in DC. We distributed tens of thousands of fliers and connected with hundreds of thousands of Black people who are outraged about what the future is shaping up to be under Bush. Many commented especially on the putrid smell of genocide coming from the William Bennett statement about aborting Black babies to lower the crime rate and Bush's mass murder by neglect in New Orleans. Participants in the march were excited about Nov. 2nd and many went home with plans to hook up with actions in there area or planning actions themselves.

Worldcantwait.org is currently linked from www.airamericaradio.com, and this week began with ads saturating Air America, bringing in tons of phone calls and emails of people who have been "waiting for a movement like this." This shows the tremendous potential for Nov. 2nd, and the need to connect far more widely to realize this potential. Donate for more ads!

10/15

Grand Lake Theatre marquis in Oakland prominently displays World Can't Wait (and can be seen from the highway).

Howard Zinn, Studs Terkel, Michael Eric Dyson, and Cornel West have now signed the Call.

World Can't Wait is on the homepage of Michael Moore's website.

World Can't Wait organizers spent the day at the Millions More March in DC, connecting with 10's of thousands of people and bringing forward new organizers for November 2nd.

Chicago World Can't Wait organizers join with others in protest against a conference of the Minutemen, a racist vigilante group hunting down immigrants at the border. Several protesters have been arrested, and the Minutemen conference was protected by police from 6 different precints!

3 students were arrested at Hunter College on Friday for doing street theatre dressed as torture victims. See the youth/student page for instructional video