All out for D.C. and L.A., September 22-29th

From this month’s Green Line:

All out for D.C. and L.A., September 22-29th

Over four years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Greens continue to call for an immediate end to this war, and accountability at home. Our Gulf Coast remains in shambles, nooses are hung by white children in school yards to intimidate black children, and immigrant families are rounded up in the middle of the night. As Greens, we must come together to say – the United States needs to get its priorities straight, clean house, and we must bring the troops home NOW! Beginning Saturday, September 22, the Green Party of the United States have a tent set up at the Troops Out Now Coalition’s week-long encampment to end the war, on the lawn in front of the Capitol building. We invite all Greens to come to D.C. and L.A. to join with others to resist the continuing war abroad and demand accountability at home. Jared Ball of the DC Statehood Green Party will speak at the rally on the 29th http://www.voxunion.com/jaredball/ . Ball is a nominee for the Green Party Presidential candidacy. Green Party of the U.S. Co-Chair, Echo Steiner (FL), will co-emcee the rally in Washington D.C. In Los Angeles, GPAX co-chair, Deanna Taylor (UT), and SKCM-Curry of the California Green Party will speak at the rally September 29 in front of the Federal Building. During the D.C. Encampment on Wednesday, September 26 at 5pm, the DC Statehood Party will lead a discussion on D.C. statehood, affordable housing, and preserving neighborhood libraries. We honor the courage of those thousands who converged this week in Jena, Louisiana, to call out injustice — we seek to continue in that spirit by calling on Greens to assemble at the halls of power, to speak, to act, and to work together to take our country back for the people. For information on transportation centers, events like the week of hip hop shows, the youth and student day of action, Impeachment Rally, Stop the War at Home Day, and more, visit www.troopsoutnow.org To support the Green Party presence at the Encampment and rally, visit the GPAX website at www.gp.org/committees/peace — and use it to let us know you’re coming!

Update from Ann Wilcox – DC Encampment

GPAX/Friends:

Weds. 9/26 was an awesome day at the Encampment. Folks celebrated some good press: the Washington Post covered Tuesday’s Emergency March to the White House, to Stop War on Iran. The article described the week-long encampment, including quotes from Larry Holmes of TONC.

Weds. the DC Statehood Greens sponsored a discussion on local issues: DC Statehood and empowerment, the closure of neighborhood libraries, and loss of affordable housing in DC. We had a good pre-dinner crowd and excellent feedback on the dialogue. Later, Rick and Michelle Tingling-Clemmons spoke of their trip to Japan with the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Committee, as well as the broader struggle for peace and social justice.

The evening concert was incredible: local artists including peace songstress Mary Shapiro, and Pam Parker and Luci Murphy of the DC Labor Chorus. The crowd sang along, well into the night!

Today (Thurs.) will feature a program on New Orleans recovery, with Malik Rahim of Common Ground (www.commongroundrelief.org) and others. Evening entertainment will continue, from 8 pm to 12 midnight; the nightly show is called “Rock the Rulers”! Tomorrow (Fri) we will have an evening vigil focusing on health care (joined by the cast of Michael Moore’s film “Sicko”), and folks will prepare for the big march on Saturday.

Greens in NY this Saturday: “Soldiers & Civilians Speak Out”

“Soldiers & Civilians Speak Out”
Anti-War March and Rally
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2007

11 am Greens gather for feeder march (place TBA)
1 pm Rally – Everson Museum Plaza, 401 Harrison Street, Syracuse
2pm March to Syracuse University (through public housing and by the VA
hospital)
4pm Closing Rally at Syracuse University (Green Party Speaker at 4:45-4:40
pm)
5-7 pm Antiwar Networking (Green Party caucus, then report to general
meeting)
7:30pm Antiwar Panel at Hendricks Chapel, Syracuse University (Scott
Ritter, Dahlia Wasfi, Jimmy Massey)

THE MARCH AND RALLY DEMANDS ARE:
—Immediate, complete, unconditional US withdrawal from Iraq (including
private contractors)
—Full health benefits for returning veterans
—Reparations to the Iraqi people
—Money for jobs, education and health-care, not occupation and warfare

DC Encampment: Greens Participate in Press Conference

Boston Troops Out Now Coalition <iacboston@iacboston.org> wrote:
A press conference was held Sept. 24 to announce the Encampment and the
mass march on Sept. 29. Larry Holmes of the Troops Out Now Coalition
opened the conference, saying, “The Democrats say they want to cut war
funding but they can’t get past a veto. We know this isn’t true. They
could simply make sure the funding question doesn’t get to the floor.
Meanwhile, Bush is prepared to veto $30 to $35 billion for health care
for children.”

Holmes also discussed the serious threat of a new war on Iran: “Iranian
President Ahmadinejad is being demonized in the media, and we’re not
naive. We know that they are preparing the population for an expansion
of the war in Iraq to war in Iran. But the biggest terrorists are in the
world sit in the White House.”

Rev. Lennox Yearwood spoke about unity in the people’s struggle against
multiple wars: “I’m so pleased to see support here at the Encampment for
the struggle in Jena; I was pleased to hear, in Jena, people talking
about how the bombs in Baghdad are affecting people in the United
States. … If it calls for getting arrested, getting in the way, then
we’ll get arrested and get in the way. Our struggles will continue, but
we will win.” Yearwood was recently beaten by D.C. police at an anti-war
press conference.

Adam Kokesh, Co-Chair of the board of directors for Iraq Veterans
Against the War described his organization’s demands, including
immediate withdrawal of all forces from Iraq, “and when we say all
forces, we mean Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Blackwater,
Halliburton”; and full payment of reparations to the people of Iraq.

Nana Soul of Artists and Activists United for Peace, a TONC member
organization, described the weeklong concert that is being held as part
of the Encampment. “The movement needs cultural inspiration, talent and
creativity. Iraq may be the issue today, but we know that this isn’t the
first time that the United States has invaded a sovereign nation. They
use tools at home like not funding health care and education. We have a
chance to translate these actions.”

Rick Clemens, Ann Wilcox and Joyce Robinson-Paul represented the Green
Party. Clemens, a Vietnam War veteran, stressed: “This war is about
imperialism, about the exploitation of labor power and markets of other
peoples. There is no thing as ending the war without ending the economic
system that perpetuates war–capitalism.” Wilcox discussed the effects
of the war at home in Washington, D.C., where neighborhood libraries are
being closed and thousands of affordable housing units have been lost.

DC Encampment: Report from the Ground

Report from Ann Wilcox of GPAX:

The Troops Out Now Encampment is up and running – and Greens are an integral part of the gathering! TONC is set up along the Capitol Reflecting Pool (3rd St. & Const.). – Thanks to Elena Everett and David Bosserman, the Green Party tent was set up throughout the weekend, and we have a prominent place on the plaza. We have literature and fliers for distribution.

Today (Monday) at 3:00 pm, there was an opening press conference: Rick Tingling-Clemmons, Ann Wilcox and Joyce Robinson-Paul spoke of Green Party values, the war, and the 5 pm Weds discussion we are sponsoring on DC issues. Please join us Weds. to talk about libraries, affordable housing, and DC Statehood.

We can use help with TABLING: especially during the weekdays (Tues? Weds?); if you have some time during the day please stop down to help for a couple of hours. Contact Dave Bosserman to sign up.

Each night there will be cultural performances – we hope to have our local cultural performers involved (drummers, poets, Head-Roc and other artists). Then Saturday, 9/29 is the culminating March (meet at 11:00 am for rally and march). Dr. Jared Ball, GP candidate for President, will represent the Green party, and our Steering Cte member Sarah “Echo” Steiner is a co-emcee of the rally. Both Echo and Elena Everett of North Carolina will be in DC later in the week.

Please contact Ann Wilcox (202-441-3265) or David Bosserman if you have questions about the TONC encampment or our participation. Hope to see you there!!

DC encampment photos

Elena writes from North Carolina:
Hey all — yesterday in DC was terrific. There was so much happening, and it was only the first day. I decided at the last minute to ride to DC on Sat at 6am and get the Green Party tent set up. Thanks so much to Dave Bosserman for helping out with that!

I took a bunch of pictures, but I left the uploading cord in DC (I drove back to NC this morning, so I could be at work tomorrow)…however!
Dustin from TONC took some pictures of us and they’re up on their blog now!

Also, now that we’ve got a good spot, front and center, we really really need people to staff it throughout the week. David set up an awesome form on our GPAX site, where people can sign up for shifts — so please spread the word and encourage people to take a shift!!
http://gp.org/committees/peace/

Can folks send that appeal out to their state and local listservs??

Thanks!

Volunteer Form to Help With Encampment is up!

The volunteer form for the encampment is now live!

Thank you to David Doonan for the help in getting this set up!

Please fill out the form to volunteer.

Look soon for photos of the encampment!

MEDIA RELEASE: Greens join September 22-29 antiwar encampments in Washington, DC, and Los Angeles, in demand for cancellation of war funding

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Monday, September 24, 2007

Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624,
mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805,
starlene@gp.org
Deanna Taylor, Co-chair, Green Party Peace Action
Committee (GPAX), 801-631-2998,
deesings@xmission.com
Ann Wilcox, GPAX, 202-441-3265,
wilcox_ann@yahoo.com

Greens join September 22-29 antiwar encampments in Washington, DC, and Los Angeles, in demand for cancellation of war funding

WASHINGTON , DC — Green Party activists are joining thousands of other Americans in Washington, DC, and Los Angeles, California for
the week-long Encampment to End the War, which will culminate in a march and rally on September 29.

The events have been organized by the Troops Out
Now Coalition <http://www.troopsoutnow.org>, of which the Green Party is a member.

The Green Party of the United States has called for full and immediate withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and has urged Congress to cancel funding for the war, and to use federal funds for human needs and services in the US, including restoration and rebuilding in the Gulf Coast.

Events include:

Greens set up camp in front of U.S. Captiol

Members of GPAX have set up camp, as part of the week-long encampment, in front of the U.S. Capitol by the reflecting pool. The Green camp is between Iraq Vets of War and Code Pink!

Echo Steiner will be the GPUS/GPAX MC and Jared Ball, who is seeking the Green Party nomination for U.S. President and who is also a D.C. Statehood Green, will be a speaker on the main stage on Saturday the 29th.

On Wednesday, September 26, DC Statehood Party leaders will lead a discussion on DC statehood, affordable housing, and preserving neighborhood libraries threatened with closing Wednesday night the DC Statehood Greens will be speaking and Malik is to speak on Katrina on Thursday. Everyone is encouraged to get over to the Encampment this week to help Greens have a continuing presence!

Next week in LA Greens will be at the rally on September 29th and Utah Green/GPAX co-chair Deanna Taylor will be speaking along with SKCM

Curry of the Green Party of California, who is seeking the Green Party nomination for Vice-President of the United States.

The encampment and rallies are part of the event organized by the Troops Out Now Coalition. The Green Party is an endorser of this action.

Watch this blog for press releases, updates and photos!

Couple arrested for flying flag upside down

From the Asheville (NC) Citizen Times:

Asheville – A couple who said they were protesting the state of the country by flying the U.S. flag upside down with signs pinned to it found themselves in jail following a scuffle with a deputy Wednesday morning.

Mark and Deborah Kuhn were arrested on two counts of assault on a government employee, resisting arrest and a rarely used charge, desecrating an American flag, all misdemeanors. The Kuhns were released from custody Wednesday afternoon. “This is surreal,” Deborah Kuhn, 52, said moments after her son Mark Stidham paid $1,500 bond to get the couple out of jail.

Arrest reports show Buncombe County Sheriff’s deputy Brian Scarborough went to the Kuhns’ home on 68 Brevard Road about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday to investigate a complaint of an American flag on display after being desecrated.State law prohibits anyone from knowingly mutilating, defiling, defacing or trampling the U.S. or North Carolina flags.

Lt. Randy Sorrells of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office said the Kuhns desecrated the flag by pinning signs to it, not by flying it upside down.An upside-down flag typically is flown as a distress signal. The Kuhns said they flew it this way not out of disrespect but to symbolize the state of the country. Deborah Kuhn said the signs pinned to the flag included an explanation on the meaning of an upside-down flag and asked to “help our country.” One of the signs was a photo of President Bush with “Out Now” written on it, they said. The couple flew the flag for about a week before Wednesday.

Deborah Kuhn said an Asheville police officer stopped by last week to make sure the couple was OK, after recognizing the upside-down flag as a distress signal.Asheville police calls for service records show an officer did go to the house July 18 after a complaint about the upside-down flag. The officer did not issue a citation or file a report. A couple of days later, Deborah Kuhn said a man dressed in fatigues came to the door to “harass my husband” about the flag. Someone also took photos of the flag, she said.

Sorrells said a resident approached Scarborough while he was on duty and alerted him to the flag. Sorrells said he did not know where the person approached Scarborough or what the deputy was doing.According to the Sheriff’s Office, Scarborough went to the Kuhns’ home and gave Mark Kuhn a copy of the flag desecration statute. Scarborough told the Kuhns the flag was being displayed illegally. Although the Kuhns live within the Asheville city limits, Sorrells said the complaint was made to a deputy.“We have jurisdiction throughout the whole county of Buncombe,” Sorrells said. “We have a citizen that complains to us about a violation of law, we’re bound by oath to act on it.”Scarborough told Mark Kuhn he was going to be issued a citation and asked for identification. Kuhn refused, slammed the door on the deputy’s hand, breaking the glass pane out of the door and cutting Scarborough’s hand, the Sheriff’s Office said.Deborah Kuhn said they removed the flag from their front porch after Scarborough threatened to cite them, but they objected to showing Scarborough their IDs, which he needed to write the tickets.

Scarborough then broke into their house and came after them, they said.“He tried to keep us from closing the door, but we managed to get it closed,” Deborah Kuhn said. “We locked the door and he broke the glass to our front door and proceeded to assault my husband, saying, ‘You’re under arrest.’”The Sheriff’s Office said a struggle ensued when Scarborough followed Kuhn back into the house. At that time, Deborah Kuhn also struck Scarborough in the face, authorities said in arrest reports.Scarborough called for backup and five squad cars responded, Sorrells said. Deborah Kuhn said she called 911 and ran into the street screaming for help. Mark Kuhn said he did not attack Scarborough. “He came after me, and I fought him back,” Kuhn, 43, said. “After I got out of his hold, I ran outside.

Sorrells said this is the first time he has seen the flag-desecration law enforced. He said it’s a difficult decision for an officer to weigh a resident’s right to free speech against another’s complaint of a law violation. “I think the officer did the appropriate thing by stating his intention to simply issue a citation and let it be worked out in court,” Sorrells said. “If Mr. Kuhn had simply complied with that request for identification and accepted the citation, we would have all gone about our way, and it could have been worked out in court. Once he assaulted the officer, it escalated very quickly.”

Sorrells said Scarborough suffered some scrapes and cuts to his hand and returned to duty later Wednesday. A message left for Scarborough at the Sheriff’s Office was not immediately returned. Mark Kuhn, who said he had flown his flag upside down before without any problems, said he plans to fight the charges. The Kuhns each face a maximum 420 days in jail if convicted on all of the charges. “We are going to do our best to get a civil liberties lawyer from the ACLU,” Kuhn said. “We are going to take this big time. Officer Scarborough is not going to get away with this.”The Kuhns said the Sheriff’s Office kept their flag. Sorrells said he had no record of that.