For over 20 years, May 15th has been celebrated as International Conscientious Objectors Day. Each year activities are focused in a country where war objectors are being harassed or persecuted. This year the international focus is on the United States' denial of the right of soldiers to object.

This year coordinated activities were held in the U.S. in New York, Washington DC, and the SF Bay Area. Courage to Resist and the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors initiated an Oakland action. A rally with spoken word, music, and theater will be held at 4:00pm at Oakland Civic Center (12th and Broadway). The protest in Oakland started with a rally near Oakland's Civic Center. People marched down Broadway to 21st St., where they blockaded the Oakland Military Recruiting Center. They pasted signs with statements such as "Resist, Don't Enlist" and "Army of None" to the windows of the center. In San Francisco, Project Safe Haven and Courage to Resist coordinated a visit of eight war resisters to the Canadian Consulate.
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This mobilization was held in support of ongoing campaigns to support GI objectors, resistance of military recruitment and a possible draft, and end the war and occupation in Iraq and global policies of empire. Read more