National Antiwar Strategy Meeting

JUNE
16
National Antiwar Strategy
Meeting

This is a very critical moment in
the struggle to against the war in Iraq --  a phase of tremendous opportunities
and challenges.  On one hand, opposition to the war is growing.  Every poll
shows that over 70%, the overwhelming majority, of the people in the U.S. want
the war to end now.  President Bush's approval ratings are the lowest of any
president since Richard Nixon at the time of his impeachment.

However,
this opposition has not yet become the tidal wave of resistance necessary to
stop the war, and the Democratic leadership in Congress, which was elected with
a clear mandate to stop the war, has once again betrayed the people and
completely capitulated to President Bush.

Our responsibility now is to
build an independent, grassroots movement that is actually capable of putting an
end to this war which has cost the lives of more than 650,000 Iraqi
civilians and 3,500 U.S. troops.

On June 16, activists from across the
U.S. are gathering in New York to discuss the next phase of united struggle
against the war.  Organizers are coming from Los Angeles, Raleigh, Cleveland,
Boston, Denver, and more.  Representatives from local and national antiwar
and progressive organizations have been invited to take part in the discussion. 
Student activists are coming to present plans for a national Student
Strike.  Labor activists, immigrant rights organizers, and community
leaders will present ideas on linking the struggle against the war to
struggles facing working people here.  Veterans and active-duty members
of the military will discuss the prospects of organizing antiwar resistance
inside the military.

We know that only an independent grassroots struggle
in the streets will stop the war.  We certainly cannot wait for politicians
from either corporate party to end the war -- if the Congress had any
intention of stopping the occupation, they could have already done so.  Even a
determined congressional minority of Democrats could block the funding for the
war. They could disrupt and filibuster.  Instead, while posing as the “anti-war”
majority party, the Democrats have capitulated to Bush and the
Pentagon.

Only the people will stop the war - and we need united,
militant action to do that.

Please join us for the discussion on June
16.

Some of
the proposed topics for discussion include:

This meeting will be an important
opportunity to discuss perspectives and plans for the next phase of the antiwar
struggle, including the draft call from the Troops Out Now Coalition ( see
http://troopsoutnow.org/sept2207call.html)
for a National March on Washington on
September 29 and an Encampment to Stop the War, beginning the week of September
22 - 29.

The call for a National March and Encampment in Washington
DC has already received wide support.  In the past few weeks, activists and
organizers from across the U.S. have contacted TONC, demonstrating a groundswell
of enthusiasm for the call to go from protest to resistance.  Some of the
proposals we have heard in the past few days include:

• Student organizations in
  several cities are discussing plans for a student strike that would include
  protests and direct action on their campuses, before joining the Encampment and
  March in DC.
• Organizers are already
  planning car caravans and "peace trains" to DC for the Encampment.
• Local organizations are
  planning to set up their own tents at the Encampment, with displays, teach-ins,
  literature, and protests  to highlight various issues, including: immigrant
  rights, counter-recruiting, Katrina, Palestine, and more.
  
  

We
urge you to read the proposal from the Troops Out Now Coalition - located online
at http://troopsoutnow.org/sept2207call.html.  
Please consider endorsing
the call, and email us with your ideas. 

Then, join us on June 16 to continue this discussion and plan for the
next phase of resistance to the war at home and the war abroad. 

• Read the draft call
  for Sept 22 - 29 : http://troopsoutnow.org/sept2207call.html

• Endorse the call
  for Sept 22 - 29 : http://www.troopsoutnow.org/sept2207encampmentmarchonwashendorse.shtml

• Volunteer
  : http://www.troopsoutnow.org/sept2207volunteer.shtml

• Become
  an Organizing Center : http://www.troopsoutnow.org/sept2207volunteer.shtml

• Donate
  : http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml