"That which you do not resist and mobilize to stop you will learn – or be forced – to accept.”
To the Anti-War Movement in the United States:
Barack Obama is sending a surge of 20,000 troops to Afghanistan.
An antiwar movement that does not move immediately to oppose the Obama doctrine of shifting the central front of the war on terror to Afghanistan, no longer deserves to be called an anti-war movement.read more...
The World Can’t Wait organizes people living in the United States to repudiate and stop the fascist direction initiated by the Bush Regime, including: the murderous, unjust and illegitimate occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan; the global “war of terror” of torture, rendition and spying; and the culture of bigotry, intolerance and greed. This direction cannot and will not be reversed by leaders who tell us to seek common ground with fascists, religious fanatics, and empire. It can only be possible by the people building a community of resistance - an independent mass movement of people - acting in the interests of humanity to stop, and demand prosecution, of these crimes.
Afghanistan war resister Travis Bishop has been held largely "incommunicado" in the Northwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility at Fort Lewis, Washington.
Bishop, who is being held by the military as a "prisoner of conscience," according to Amnesty International, was transported to Fort Lewis on September 9 to serve a 12-month sentence in the Regional Correctional Facility. He had refused orders to deploy to Afghanistan based on his religious beliefs, and had filed for Conscientious Objector (CO) status.
Taking Torture To the Times: Resisters Speak Out Against Child Torture, Demand War Crimes Prosecutions of Bush Regime
Resisters with World Can’t Wait gathered in front of the New York Times building Monday March 30, to denounce U.S. torture of children and demand prosecution of the Bush Regime for war crimes.
Holding a banner reading, “The U.S. Government Tortured Children: Prosecute the Bush Regime Now!” and kneeling in orange jumpsuits and black hoods to symbolize those tortured by our government, the group created a dramatic visual for nearly 90 minutes in front of the offices of the nation’s largest newspaper.
The action was called in response to a new book by professor Michael Haas, “George W. Bush War Criminal? The Bush Administration’s Liability For 269 War Crimes.” A particular focus was placed on the book’s exposure of our government’s kidnapping, indefinite detention, and torture of thousands of children in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo. As Haas details, children in detention were raped, forced to run carrying heavy buckets (and beaten when they stopped), held in solitary confinement, and denied contact with their parents for years at a time. And this only touches on the abuse these children suffered at the hands of our government.
SIGN the petition against DNC/RNC arrests, brutal treatment & surveillance of protesters.
The St. Paul City Council is now doing some investigation, and we want to get this national petition to them.
To: Local Elected Officials and Law Enforcement in Denver, St. Paul and Minneapolis:
CC: Homeland Security
{xtypo_rounded_right2}background at: worldcantwait.org rnc08report.org New Left Notes {/xtypo_rounded_right2}
Thousands of people came to your cities during the recent national
political conventions to protest the U.S. occupation of the Middle
East, widespread violations of international law by the Bush
administration, and abuses of the rights of people living in this
country.
They were met in each instance with $50 million spent on military tactics and material, and:
involvement of US "fusion centers" combining domestic and military agencies for the purposes of surveillance of the protesters;
riot squads on bicycles, motorcycles, horses, and military troop transports;
use of agent infiltrators into political groups, and provocateurs on the streets;
revocation and denial of permits to assemble and mass arrests of
protesters & bystanders alike, with pepper & tear gas,
concussion grenades, and batons;
raids featuring drawn weapons at homes and offices and on private cars, on the basis not of crimes committed, but of speech.
Nearly 1000 people were arrested, including 40 members of the press,
and including juveniles. Many of them were detained for days. Some
were denied medication, medical care, and timely legal representation.
Some were illegally interrogated as to their political beliefs and
associations. Some were physically abused, with reported use of
tasers, hoods, batons, and denial of food and bathroom facilities.
The charges range from vague misdemeanors to "conspiracy to commit riot
in the 2nd degree in furtherance of terrorism" in the case of the RNC
8. These are demonstrably political charges devoid of actual crimes
committed.
It may be that with the huge budget, the designation of the conventions
as "national security events" and the ominous and baseless warnings
from federal authorities that the political protests would be violent,
such abuses against protesters were predicable. But they are NOT
acceptable. We demand:
1) Charges against people involved in political protest at the
conventions be dropped immediately. In particular, the indictment of
the RNC8 must be withdrawn.
2) A thorough investigation of methods employed by law enforcement, and
directed by Homeland Security, including the methods and justification
for surveillance of political activists; the insertion of agents into
political organizations; the crowd control methods and mass arrests;
the conditions of detention of those arrested; and any ongoing
surveillance and interference with the rights of those accused,
arrested, or involved in the protests are contrary to the expectation
of the rights to freedom of speech and assembly. Such investigations
must include public hearings, and a real search for the truth in what
happened.
3) A public report, dissociating your city from those methods found to
suppress speech and assembly, and guarantee to the people that they
will not be used again.
4) Rejection of the use of military involvement in surveillance,
activation of national guard units or active duty military in future
political protests.
The following describes my experience as
a protester being mistreated by the St. Paul police during the RNC. My
name is Jodin Morey, and I'm a Cofounder of Impeach for Peace.The police abuse I'll describe includes the use of concussion grenades, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and batons.
I joined the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign
in a march from Mears Park On September 2, 2008 at 4 p.m. Having heard
that some peaceful protesters had been arrested the day before, I was
concerned about joining this march. I had been the one to reserve a
one-hour slot on the protest stage at 1 p.m. on the following day.
National speakers had come from around the country (Ray McGovern, John Nichols and Debra Sweet from the World Can't Wait).
The St. Paul Park and Rec. had made it clear the stage would only be
available if I were physically present with my driver's license at the
time reserved. I therefore had decided to join the march with the idea
of being extremely cautious to avoid any interactions with the police
that could result in my arrest.
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