A Troops Home Fast Press Conference will be held on Monday, July 17th at 12:00pm, as local fasters will be starting their continuous presence at the Federal Building. Many of the long term fasters will go on to Washington DC for the September 21st International Peace Day, when activists around the country will initiate a week of nonviolent actions against the war as part of the Declaration of Peace.

Thousands of people gathered across the US during the week of the 4th of July to protest the on-going war in Iraq. One of the largest demonstrations took place in Washington D.C and was organized by Code Pink. Code Pink launched a nationwide fast to demand an end to the war. The fasters planned to stay in front of the White House every day until August 14th, when they will move the hunger strike to near President Bush's vacation ranch in Crawford, Texas. Participants in the fast have included Iraqi blogger Raed Jarrar and Iraq War veteran Geoffrey Millard. Read more from Democracy Now

Participants' levels of participation in the fast have varied: Some will be fasting completely until the troops come home; some will be on liquids only until the troops come home; some are fasting for 2 weeks, 2 days; and others, such as Cindy Sheehan, plan to fast until at least September 21st. Sheehan wrote, "I encourage everyone in America to move away from the comfortable complacency that allows BushCo to kill people with impunity. If we don’t stand up and speak out against their offenses and for accountabitlity the crimes will continue even into the next administration, whichever party is in power. How can we not fast... or sacrifice something, anything when the people of Iraq, and many of our soldiers, don’t even have enough food to eat or clean water to drink? How can we numbly go shopping for groceries when unsuspecting and undeserving people in Iraq are being killed when simply going to the market..." Cindy Sheehan's report from July 5th

Solidarity actions are being held around the country, with people lobbying Congresspeople in some unique ways. People gathered on the 4th of July at the state capitol in Sacramento to observe the fast. They gathered again in Davis on July 8th as part of the Tour de Fast. Reporting on Fasters in Sacramento On July 5th, CodePink held a housewarming party for Senator Dianne Feinstein, who has been moving into a new home in San Francisco's Pacific Heights district. A vigil, fast supper, and press conference were held, to ask DiFi to bring the troops home. CodePink is carrying out a Rolling Fast outside of Sen. Feinstein’s office at One Post and Market, from 8am to 8pm, on Thursday, July 6th through Wednesday July 12th. In part, the fast is calling for Feinstein to co-sponsor the S. CON. RES 93). The Harkin Bill calls for the lack of a permanent military presence in Iraq, no American control of Iraqi oil, and redeployment of Armed Forces from Iraq as soon as practicable after the completion of Iraq’s constitution-making process or by December 31, 2006. Audio Interview with Bay Area Codepinkers Rae Abileah and Sureya Sayadi | Photos: 1 | 2 | Video

Hunger Strikers Enter Second Week Of Fast Outside Of White House | Troops Home Fast website | Bay Area Codepink | Democracy Now Report | Two Feet In Blog | DC Indymedia | US Indymedia