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Wed Apr 27 2005
Military recruiters protested in Eureka, CA
Military recruiters locked themselves in their offices, as anti-recruitment protesters rallied in front of their office in Eureka, California.
One young recruit was handed literature on the dangers of being exposed to depleted uranium and information on how to become a conscientious objector.
The counter-recruitment event was part of a 4-day community and Humboldt State University campus teach-in in remembrance of the 30th anniversary of the end of the US war against Vietnam. The festivities started with a well-attended walk-out of the Arcata high school.
Photos: 1 | 2 | Video
Photos: 1 | 2 | Video
Wed Apr 20 2005
Direct Action Against Military Recruiters at UCB
Recently, the Associated Students at the University of California (ASUC) passed a resolution that argued that military recruiters (who refuse to recruit gays and lesbians) violate the University of California's anti-discrimination policy and therefore should not be allowed access to ASUC facilities (SB 107). Still, military recruiters showed up at the April 21st Career Fair in the MLK student union.
Protesters gathered at 10:30am and rallied outside before going in to the fair and lining up at the military tables pretending interest or saying they were gay but wanted to join. A group of Berkeley Republicans held a counterprotest.
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3
Counter Recruitment has become a national issue. Between these efforts and widespread anger about the war, all branches of the United States Military have seen drastic drops in their recruitment rates. In February, the Army missed its recruiting goal for the first time in nearly five years, and it missed its March goal by 32 percent. The Army Reserve is 10 percent behind their year-to-date recruiting target and the National Guard is 26 percent short, while the need for soldiers is on the rise. Berkeley Stop the War Coalition has been working to bring the Counter Recruitment movement to UC Berkeley's campus.
Read More | Past Counter-Recruitment Coverage: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3
Counter Recruitment has become a national issue. Between these efforts and widespread anger about the war, all branches of the United States Military have seen drastic drops in their recruitment rates. In February, the Army missed its recruiting goal for the first time in nearly five years, and it missed its March goal by 32 percent. The Army Reserve is 10 percent behind their year-to-date recruiting target and the National Guard is 26 percent short, while the need for soldiers is on the rise. Berkeley Stop the War Coalition has been working to bring the Counter Recruitment movement to UC Berkeley's campus.
Read More | Past Counter-Recruitment Coverage: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Sun Apr 17 2005
Marla Ruzicka, Californian Anti-War Activist, Dies in Iraq
A Bay Area Memorial for Marla Ruzicka will be held on Monday, May 3rd at 7:30 PM at the Women's Building in San Francisco.
On Saturday April 16, 28-year-old Marla Ruzicka, who was originally from Lakeport, California, was killed when a car bomb exploded on a street in Baghdad. Faiz Ali Salim, her Iraqi partner, was also killed, and five people were wounded. The attack apparently occurred on the Baghdad Airport road as she traveled to visit an Iraqi child injured by a bomb, which was part of her daily work of identifying and supporting innocent victims of this war. Marla was working for CIVIC (Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict), a humanitarian organization that she founded. CIVIC documents cases of innocent civilians who have been hurt by war. Marla and many volunteers went door-to-door to interview families who have lost loved ones or had their property destroyed by the fighting. She would then take this information back to Washington and lobby for reparations for these families. Read more
From a statement by Global Exchange: "Marla first came to the Global Exchange office when she was still in high school in Lakeport. She had heard a talk by one of staff members about Global Exchange's work building people-to-people ties around the world—and she wanted to do something to help. She was a quick study and took to the work with a passion and energy that were inspiring to us older activists. She later chose a college (Friends World College) that allowed her to travel to many countries and learn from diverse cultures. She quickly develop "big love"—love of the human race, in all its joy, frailties and exotic permutations... One of the things we can do to honor Marla Ruzicka is to carry on her heartfelt work to build a world without hunger, war and needless suffering." A Memorial Service for Marla was held in Lakeport on Saturday, April 23rd at 11am.
CIVIC's website | Stories by Raed Jarrar: 1 | 2 | Marla and Faiz's Journal | Statement from Human Rights Watch
On Saturday April 16, 28-year-old Marla Ruzicka, who was originally from Lakeport, California, was killed when a car bomb exploded on a street in Baghdad. Faiz Ali Salim, her Iraqi partner, was also killed, and five people were wounded. The attack apparently occurred on the Baghdad Airport road as she traveled to visit an Iraqi child injured by a bomb, which was part of her daily work of identifying and supporting innocent victims of this war. Marla was working for CIVIC (Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict), a humanitarian organization that she founded. CIVIC documents cases of innocent civilians who have been hurt by war. Marla and many volunteers went door-to-door to interview families who have lost loved ones or had their property destroyed by the fighting. She would then take this information back to Washington and lobby for reparations for these families. Read more
From a statement by Global Exchange: "Marla first came to the Global Exchange office when she was still in high school in Lakeport. She had heard a talk by one of staff members about Global Exchange's work building people-to-people ties around the world—and she wanted to do something to help. She was a quick study and took to the work with a passion and energy that were inspiring to us older activists. She later chose a college (Friends World College) that allowed her to travel to many countries and learn from diverse cultures. She quickly develop "big love"—love of the human race, in all its joy, frailties and exotic permutations... One of the things we can do to honor Marla Ruzicka is to carry on her heartfelt work to build a world without hunger, war and needless suffering." A Memorial Service for Marla was held in Lakeport on Saturday, April 23rd at 11am.
CIVIC's website | Stories by Raed Jarrar: 1 | 2 | Marla and Faiz's Journal | Statement from Human Rights Watch
Wed Apr 6 2005
UC Santa Cruz Students Kick Military Recruiters Off Campus
On April 5, about 300 UC Santa Cruz students led by Students Against War (SAW) kicked Army, Navy and Marine Corps recruiters out of the annual Career Center Job Fair, marking yet another success for the nation-wide counter-military recruitment campaign.
Full Coverage On Santa Cruz Indymedia
Full Coverage On Santa Cruz Indymedia
Thu Mar 31 2005
UC Berkeley Student Senate Bars Military Recruiters
3/30/2005:The Associated Students of the University of California at UC Berkeley have unanimously passed a resolution denying military recruiters use of facilities and assets because of the military's discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Student bill 20107, states that "the presence of military recruiters on campus violates the University of California’s own nondiscriminatory policy" and "calls on Chancellor Birgeneau, the UC-Berkeley administration, and the UC Regents to take measures to bar military recruiters from UC-Berkeley and throughout the UC system." The resolution goes on to state that the ASUC shall deny the use of ASUC facilities and assets to military recruiters and calls on the U.S. military to immediately revoke its discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.
Much of the success of this resolution can be attributed to the November 2004 FAIR v. Rumsfeld ruling by the Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. The ruling states that universities may bar military recruiters from their campuses without risking the loss of federal money, which had been a major deterrent in anti-recruitment efforts.
In addition, the student senate passed a resolution calling for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
Read More | Past Counter-Recruitment Coverage: 1 2 3 4 | April 9th: Counter-Recruitment Conference
Much of the success of this resolution can be attributed to the November 2004 FAIR v. Rumsfeld ruling by the Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. The ruling states that universities may bar military recruiters from their campuses without risking the loss of federal money, which had been a major deterrent in anti-recruitment efforts.
In addition, the student senate passed a resolution calling for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
Read More | Past Counter-Recruitment Coverage: 1 2 3 4 | April 9th: Counter-Recruitment Conference
Wed Mar 23 2005
Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War Comes to San Francisco
Eyes Wide Open is a traveling memorial that exhibits a pair of empty combat
boots for each of the over 1500 American soldiers who have died in combat in the Iraq war. The boots are tagged with the names of the soldiers. There is also a wall of names to memorialize the Iraqis who have been killed. The Eyes Wide Open Exhibit is a project of the American Friends Service Committee and many co-sponsors.
Photos from Saturday 3/26: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
San Francisco dates:
The Sunday March 27th vigil in Union Square has been cancelled due to risk of rain.
March 25th (Friday), 11:00 am with all-night vigil at Civic Center between Polk and Larkin; More details about events scheduled this weekend. From March 29th-31st, the exhibit will be in Sacramento, CA.
Approximately 35 people are needed each day of the exhibit to help set up and breakdown the memorial, greet visitors, and make sure that none of the boots walk away. Organizers are also asking that people consider donating phone cards for military families and shoes to memorialize the Iraqi casualties. You can find out more about it and the tour schedule at http://www.afsc.org/eyes
Photos from Saturday 3/26: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
San Francisco dates:
The Sunday March 27th vigil in Union Square has been cancelled due to risk of rain.
March 25th (Friday), 11:00 am with all-night vigil at Civic Center between Polk and Larkin; More details about events scheduled this weekend. From March 29th-31st, the exhibit will be in Sacramento, CA.
Approximately 35 people are needed each day of the exhibit to help set up and breakdown the memorial, greet visitors, and make sure that none of the boots walk away. Organizers are also asking that people consider donating phone cards for military families and shoes to memorialize the Iraqi casualties. You can find out more about it and the tour schedule at http://www.afsc.org/eyes
On March 20th in San Jose, there was a Peace March and Rally to Bring the Troops Home, beginning at 1:30pm. Photos | More info
March 19, 2005 was an International Day of Protest on the second anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
In San Francisco, ANSWER organized a rally that took place in Dolores Park. A stage was set up near 19th and Dolores with speakers (including Tom Ammiano) beginning around 11am. A student contingent gathered at the 16th St BART station at 10AM before marching to Dolores Park. A labor rally met near 18th and Dolores as speakers addressed issues such as Social Security reform and underemployment. Contingents of pro-Palestinian people, pro-immigrant rights groups, and Anarchists also gathered near 18th and Dolores.
Over ten thousand people took to the streets. Around 11:30 the main ANSWER banners were assembled near 19th and Dolores, and contingents, including Veterans For Peace, BAYAN, and the California Nurses Association lined up behind them. The march wove up to Mission St., then left to 16th St, then right on Valencia to Market St, before ending up at Civic Center Plaza, where another stage was set up. Speakers including Danny Glover demanded a US withdrawal from Iraq and that the US take a less militaristic approach to the world.
Audio: 1 | 2 | 3 Reports: 1 | 2 | 3 Videos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27
Indybay and ECR's Breaking News from 3/19
At about 3:15, an aftermarch left Civic Center, and zigzagged back and forth between South of Market and Mission and Market Streets. About 100 people were chased by police, and used running and turning around in traffic as ways to try to avoid the cops. At 14th and Valencia, there were confrontations in the street and on the sidewalk. Nine people sat down in the street and were eventually arrested by cops who used pain compliance methods on them. The march reconverged in the Lower Haight, and chants of "while you're shopping, bombs are dropping" were heard. The march then went by the GAP and there were reports of property enhancement at McDonald's.
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 Video: 1 Reports: 1 | 2
Elsewhere in California, thousands took to the streets of Los Angeles (Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 Video: 1 Audio: 1 ) and many people from all over the Central Valley gathered in Fresno for "the Rally in the Valley" (Photos: 1 | 2 Video: 1 | 2 ). There was a protest in San Diego (Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 ) and in Eureka, thousands braved the rain to demand an end to the occupation of Iraq and the immediate withdrawal of US troops (Photos: 1 | 2 ). In Sonora, 300 community members attended a peace march and rally and on Friday the 18th, there was a protest in Reedley (Photos)
There were protests In at least 765 towns and cities around the United States. Outside of California, the largest protests were in New York ( Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 Video: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ) , Chicago (Photos: 1 | 2 Video: 1 | 2 ), and Fayetteville, North Carolina ( Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 ) .
Thousands also took to the streets in An Arbor ( 1 | 2 ), Akron ( Audio:1 ). Atlanta ( Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 Video: 1 ), Baltimore (Photos: 1) , Boston (Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ), Champaign ( Photos: 1 ), Cleveland ( Photos: 1 ), Concord, NH (Photos:1), Denver (Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 ), Detroit (Audio: 1), Grand Rapids ( Photos: 1 ), Fayetteville, Arkansas (Photos: 1), Houston ( Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 ), Kansas City (Photos: 1), Las Vegas ( Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 ), Madison ( Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 Video: 1 ), Miami ( Video: 1 ), Milwaukee (Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 ), Minneapolis (Photos: 1 | 2 ), Nashville ( Photos: 1 ), towns throughout New York State ( Photos: 1 Video:1 | 2 ), Pittsburgh (Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 ), Portland (Photos: 1 | 2 Video: 1 ), Smaller towns in Oregon ( Photos: 1 | 2 ), Seattle (Photos: 1) , St. Paul ( Photos: 1 ) , Tucson( Photos: 1 ), and Traverse City (Photos: 1 ).
Around the world, protests took place in Ankara, Athens, Auckland, Barcelona, Brasilia, Brussels, Bombay, Dublin, Cairo, Copenhagen, Glasgow, Istanbul, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, Lahore, London, Madrid, Melbourne, Mexico City, Montevideo, Rome, Santiago, Sao Paulo, Sydney, Tokyo, Vancouver, Warsaw, Wellington, Winnipeg and many other cities. There were also protests in Bulgaria, Sweden, Peru and Puerto Rico. Photos From Many Of These Protests
March 19, 2005 was an International Day of Protest on the second anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
In San Francisco, ANSWER organized a rally that took place in Dolores Park. A stage was set up near 19th and Dolores with speakers (including Tom Ammiano) beginning around 11am. A student contingent gathered at the 16th St BART station at 10AM before marching to Dolores Park. A labor rally met near 18th and Dolores as speakers addressed issues such as Social Security reform and underemployment. Contingents of pro-Palestinian people, pro-immigrant rights groups, and Anarchists also gathered near 18th and Dolores.
Over ten thousand people took to the streets. Around 11:30 the main ANSWER banners were assembled near 19th and Dolores, and contingents, including Veterans For Peace, BAYAN, and the California Nurses Association lined up behind them. The march wove up to Mission St., then left to 16th St, then right on Valencia to Market St, before ending up at Civic Center Plaza, where another stage was set up. Speakers including Danny Glover demanded a US withdrawal from Iraq and that the US take a less militaristic approach to the world.
Audio: 1 | 2 | 3 Reports: 1 | 2 | 3 Videos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27
Indybay and ECR's Breaking News from 3/19
At about 3:15, an aftermarch left Civic Center, and zigzagged back and forth between South of Market and Mission and Market Streets. About 100 people were chased by police, and used running and turning around in traffic as ways to try to avoid the cops. At 14th and Valencia, there were confrontations in the street and on the sidewalk. Nine people sat down in the street and were eventually arrested by cops who used pain compliance methods on them. The march reconverged in the Lower Haight, and chants of "while you're shopping, bombs are dropping" were heard. The march then went by the GAP and there were reports of property enhancement at McDonald's.
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 Video: 1 Reports: 1 | 2
Elsewhere in California, thousands took to the streets of Los Angeles (Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 Video: 1 Audio: 1 ) and many people from all over the Central Valley gathered in Fresno for "the Rally in the Valley" (Photos: 1 | 2 Video: 1 | 2 ). There was a protest in San Diego (Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 ) and in Eureka, thousands braved the rain to demand an end to the occupation of Iraq and the immediate withdrawal of US troops (Photos: 1 | 2 ). In Sonora, 300 community members attended a peace march and rally and on Friday the 18th, there was a protest in Reedley (Photos)
There were protests In at least 765 towns and cities around the United States. Outside of California, the largest protests were in New York ( Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 Video: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ) , Chicago (Photos: 1 | 2 Video: 1 | 2 ), and Fayetteville, North Carolina ( Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 ) .
Thousands also took to the streets in An Arbor ( 1 | 2 ), Akron ( Audio:1 ). Atlanta ( Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 Video: 1 ), Baltimore (Photos: 1) , Boston (Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ), Champaign ( Photos: 1 ), Cleveland ( Photos: 1 ), Concord, NH (Photos:1), Denver (Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 ), Detroit (Audio: 1), Grand Rapids ( Photos: 1 ), Fayetteville, Arkansas (Photos: 1), Houston ( Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 ), Kansas City (Photos: 1), Las Vegas ( Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 ), Madison ( Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 Video: 1 ), Miami ( Video: 1 ), Milwaukee (Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 ), Minneapolis (Photos: 1 | 2 ), Nashville ( Photos: 1 ), towns throughout New York State ( Photos: 1 Video:1 | 2 ), Pittsburgh (Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 ), Portland (Photos: 1 | 2 Video: 1 ), Smaller towns in Oregon ( Photos: 1 | 2 ), Seattle (Photos: 1) , St. Paul ( Photos: 1 ) , Tucson( Photos: 1 ), and Traverse City (Photos: 1 ).
Around the world, protests took place in Ankara, Athens, Auckland, Barcelona, Brasilia, Brussels, Bombay, Dublin, Cairo, Copenhagen, Glasgow, Istanbul, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, Lahore, London, Madrid, Melbourne, Mexico City, Montevideo, Rome, Santiago, Sao Paulo, Sydney, Tokyo, Vancouver, Warsaw, Wellington, Winnipeg and many other cities. There were also protests in Bulgaria, Sweden, Peru and Puerto Rico. Photos From Many Of These Protests
Anti-War:
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