Sept. 24: "Unity in the Streets" Explanation

United for Peace and Justice is
circulating this memo to explain the political reasoning behind our organizing
approach for the September 24-26 mobilization, and to respond to concerns about our
decision not to merge our September 24 demonstration with a separate anti-war event
being organized that same day.

We have reached a real turning point in the Iraq War. The Bush Administration is
experiencing incredible pressure to change course as a result of declining U.S.
popular support, growing calls within Congress and the media for military
withdrawal, and continued chaos and bloodshed within Iraq.

UFPJ is organizing our three-day mobilization in Washington, D.C. from September
24-26 to increase the pressure at this strategic time. This mobilization is
different from the large anti-war demonstrations we have organized in the past in
several key respects, and these differences have shaped the organizing decisions
that UFPJ's leadership -- a national steering committee elected by our member groups
--has made about the mobilization.

The September mobilization comes as anti-war sentiment is dramatically growing
throughout the United States. New polls indicate that up to 60% of people in this
country oppose the war and believe some or all U.S. troops should be withdrawn from
Iraq. If we organize in an inclusive way, with broad demands, accessible language,
and an inviting style, we have the potential to organize the largest and most
diverse demonstration against the war to date, with people from all walks of life
coming together in a clear call to bring our troops home now. If we are willing to
go outside our comfort zones and speak to people our movements don't typically
reach, we have the potential to mobilize large numbers of people from outside the
usual activist circles, people from a wide range of communities who are fed up with
the carnage in Iraq and ready to stand up publicly for peace and justice. A truly
massive turn-out for our September 24 march against the war -- representing
communities large and small, of every color and ethnicity, every economic status,
and every religious creed -- will dramatize to the Bush administration and Congress
how unpopular and politically untenable this war has become.

The September mobilization also comes as years of intense anti-war organizing are
beginning to pay off in the legislative realm, with movement in both houses of
Congress to call for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. To build on this crucial new
political momentum, our three-day September mobilization against the war will focus
not just on the White House but also on Congress; it will include not just the major
protest march on Saturday, September 24, but also, on Monday, September 26,
large-scale grassroots lobbying and a mass nonviolent civil disobedience action.

Finally, the September mobilization comes as the anti-war movement is organizing
more strategically than ever, pursuing a series of grassroots campaigns that target
the most vulnerable aspects of the Bush administration's war drive. These include
the increasingly effective nationwide efforts to counter military recruitment, a
rapidly growing campaign of anti-war organizing in faith-based communities, and the
multi-state campaign against the use of the National Guard in Iraq. As part of our
three-day mobilization, we will be providing a range of ways for people to plug into
these campaigns, including an interfaith religious service, grassroots training
sessions, and "interactive stations" at the anti-war festival following our Saturday
march.

As part of our effort to build the most inclusive and diverse possible mobilization,
UFPJ has chosen two simple, broad demands for the weekend: End the War on Iraq,
Bring the Troops Home Now! These main slogans are accompanied by five additional
demands that link to specific campaigns: Leave no military bases behind; End the
looting of Iraq; Stop bankrupting our communities; Stop the torture; No military
recruitment in our schools.

We have chosen these overarching demands for the mobilization because we believe it
is politically imperative to bring the largest number of people together right now
in opposition to the war on Iraq. This September, we are seeking to mobilize all
opponents of the war, no matter what their positions are on other political matters,
and so we have kept our demands broad and simple. At the same time, United for Peace
and Justice, as a coalition, has taken strong stances on an array of issues related
to the Iraq War: opposing the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and U.S.
support for that occupation; stopping torture and illegal detentions; preventing
future “pre-emptive” wars against Iran, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba or other
countries; supporting the democratic struggles of the Haitian people; and
challenging U.S. nuclear hegemony by demanding the elimination of nuclear weapons
worldwide.

For the September mobilization, UFPJ warmly welcomes our allies in the wide array of
peace and justice movements to participate in the mobilization in ways that
highlight the links between their struggles and issues and the absolute necessity to
end the war on Iraq. We invite all those struggling for peace and justice abroad or
at home to organize contingents in our march or feeder marches to the demonstration.
The September 24 march is a powerful opportunity for labor, women, communities of
color, lesbian/gay/ bisexual/transgender people, immigrants, youth and students, and
many other communities to stand together and say, “We cannot make headway on any of
our issues without ending the war and bringing the troops home.”

Some people have urged UFPJ to consider a joint demonstration with the Sept. 24
National Coalition, initiated by A.N.S.W.E.R., which is also organizing an anti-war
protest on September 24. We take seriously the concerns from local organizers about
the potential for confusion if there are two separate marches on September 24.
Therefore, we have agreed to US Labor Against the War's proposal to convene a
meeting with A.N.S.W.E.R. to work through logistical issues about the day, including
the possibility of bringing the marches together. We are committed to working in
good faith on this process. But because of our different approaches to organizing
and how demands are articulated, we are not proposing a “unified” program that day.
(See our May 23 memo to our member groups for a more detailed explanation:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=2853)

We urge all those who seek to bring this war to an end -- from national groups to
local organizations to concerned individuals -- to put maximum effort into bringing
new people and organizations into the nation's capital for September 24. The streets
of Washington, D.C. are big enough to contain all of our events and movements that
weekend. The important thing is that the streets be filled with as many people as
possible, all holding the Bush Administration and Congress accountable for the
continuing devastation of this illegal and unjustified war.

===========================================END THE WAR ON IRAQ! BRING THE TROOPS
HOME NOW!
Massive 3-day mobilization in Washington, D.C.
September 24-26, 2005