Philly Remembers Al-Nakba... 60 Days for 60 Years

OVER 30 EVENTS, INCLUDING STATE HOUSE RALLY, PLANNED BY COALITION FOR PEACE ACTION FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF IRAQ WAR

Below is a link to an advance story on NJ Students for Peace semi-annual Peace Fest at 6:30 PM this Saturday, March 15 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton.

http://www.nj.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news-12/1205039101136270.xml...

http://www.peacecoalition.org/action/cfpa/peacefest.aspx

OVER 30 EVENTS, INCLUDING STATE HOUSE RALLY, PLANNED BY COALITION FOR PEACE ACTION FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF IRAQ WAR

The Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA), with regional headquarter in Princeton and 18 chapters in Eastern Pennsylvania and central/southern New Jersey, is planning 30 events as part of a Moratorium Day to protest the Fifth Anniversary of the Iraq War on Wednesday, March 19. A highlight of the Moratorium Day will be a Regional Rally on the State House Steps, 125 W. State Street in Trenton, NJ from 12:00 noon to 1:00 PM. Car-pooling from Princeton to this event will leave the Princeton Shopping Center (Rite Aid end) at 11:15 AM.

Confirmed speakers to date include:
The Rev. Robert Moore, Executive Director of CFPA
Larry Hamm, Chair of the Peoples Organization for Progress
Bruce Tornari, a disabled combat veteran of the Vietnam War
Ladonna Blount, Organizer with NJ Citizen Action
Siri Om Singh, a Trenton-based performer, will perform peaceful music with his interfaith, interracial group. For further information, visit CFPAs website: www.peacecoalition.org or call their office at (609) 924-5022.

This Rally is one of 30 events CFPA and its chapters are planning for the fifth anniversary of the War. Over 500 are planned nationally, which are being coordinated by United for Peace and Justice, the largest US peace and justice coalition; and by Moveon.org.

Among the 30 activities planned in the region are Vigils at Congressional Offices and on bridges between New Jersey and Pennsylvania; Marches and Rallies in Atlantic City and at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), and at the Lockheed Martin facility in Newtown, PA; a walk-out at Princeton High School; and Teach-ins at Bucks County Community College and at TCNJ. Further details on all activities, along with respective contact persons, are on the list at the end of this press release.

This war has lasted five years too many, said the Rev. Robert Moore, CFPAs Executive Director. We have lost nearly 4,000 US troops, while over 50,000 have been seriously wounded. Reliable estimates are that over 500,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed, and more than four million displaced as refugees. It is time to say: Not one more death, Not one more dollar.

Moreover, Rev. Moore continued, the US economy is now entering an Iraq recession caused at least partly by the estimated $3 trillion the war is costing. Meanwhile urgent needs for job creation, health care, education, infrastructure, and reversing global warming are being starved for funds. This is profoundly immoral and destructive to the American people.

All this is justified by the continued deception that the surge is working. The only thing that is working is to deceive the American people and the media into thinking Iraqs problems are being solved, when in fact ethnic cleansing has segregated Iraqis into enclaves, and short term alliances with Sunni insurgents are temporarily leading to fewer casualties. The truth is that the fundamental problems are not being solved, they are only being put off to the next Administration so President Bush can say he didnt lose Iraq, concluded Rev. Moore.

Central New Jersey and Bucks County, PA Chapters
7:30 to 9:00 a.m. Vigil on the Trenton Makes Bridge and Calhoun Street Bridges between Morrisville, PA and Trenton, NJ
Bring posters to witness against the war to rush hour traffic first thing in the morning.
In Pennsylvania, contact Al Krass at cfpabuxmont@verizon.net or at (215) 547-2656
In New Jersey, contact CFPA at (609) 924-5022 or cfpa.peacecoalition.org

Central New Jersey
NOON Regional Rally at the New Jersey State House, 125 West State Street, Trenton
5:00-6:00 p.m.  Vigil at Congressman Chris Smiths district office, 1540 Kuser Road, Hamilton
6:30-7:15 p.m. Vigil at Congressman Rush Holts district office, 50 Washington Road, Princeton Junction
NJ Students for Peace - A student walk-out is planned at for 12:30 p.m. at Princeton High School
Progressive Student Alliance, The College of New Jersey  Noon March around campus (wearing armbands) to and from Alumni Grove, ending with Speak-out at 1 p.m. Faculty lecture on imperialism 7:00 p.m., student lecture on How to Stop the War 9pm, both at TCNJ Science Complex. For more information, contact Matt Hoke at hoke2@tcnj.edu

Hunterdon County, NJ
6:00 p.m. rally at Historic County Courthouse, Main Street and William Street, Flemington, followed by a 7 p.m. visit to district office of New Jersey State Senator Leonard Lance, who is running for U.S. Congress.
Contact Lu Ann Kidd at 908 399-3550 or at luannkidd@remax.net

South Jersey and Cape May/Atlantic Counties, NJ
1 p.m. Vigil & Die-in at Congressman Frank A. LoBiondos office, 5125 Main Street (Route 40), Mays Landing
6:30 p.m. Vigil at Congressman Jim Saxton's office, 100 High St., Mt. Holly, NJ (co-sponsored with NJ Citizen Action)
Also: Sunday, March 16 at 2 p.m. March from the Garden Pier to Boardwalk Hall (2301 Boardwalk), Atlantic City. Join us at Boardwalk Hall for an inspiring message by Rev. Bob Moore, CFPA Executive Director, followed by a reading of the names of New Jersey service men and women who have died as a result of the Iraq War.
Contact: Norm Cohen (609) 601-8537 ncohen12@comcast.net

Main Line, Pennsylvania Chapter
7:30 -8:30 a.m. Join fellow peacemakers to leaflet and vigil at Bryn Mawr, Merion Station commuter rail stations.
Noon: Visits to district offices of Congressman Jim Gerlach: 111 East Uwchlan Avenue, Exton; 501 North Park Road, Wyomissing; 580 Main Street, Suite #4, Trappe.

4:30 p.m. Vigil on Penn Street Bridge, Penn Street and 2nd St, Reading (next to Community College)
5:00 p.m. Rally with Bryn Mawr Peace Coalition, Lancaster and Bryn Mawr Avenues near Ludington Library
6:30 p.m. Speaker and video at Ludington Library, South Bryn Mawr Avenue.
Contact: David Gibson, (P) 610-623-3724 peacehome@earthlink.net

Bucks/Eastern Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Chapters
9:30 a.m. Rep. Patrick Murphy's district office, 414 Mill Street, Bristol
3 p.m. Bucks County Community College, 275 Swamp Road, Newtown. A Teach-In on how our corporations are making obscene profits from warmaking. We will learn how the corporate giants lobby Congress and how they brought it to commit itself to fund the kind of war the corporations want us to fight. We will talk about how this has led the country to incur enormous deficits, helping to bring on the recession, and how it has forced the government to cut needed programs for health, education, and other social needs. Participants may go to the cafeteria and pass out literature to students.
4:30PM- 6:00PM. 100 Campus Drive, Lockheed-Martin on the Newtown Bypass. As the evening rush hour traffic passes by, we will raise our voices to protest how corporations such as Lockheed are making billions of dollars on this war, and how they promote the U.S.'s continuing decisions to wage this kind of war.

6:30 p.m. Visit to Rep. Murphy's other district office, 60 North Main Street, Doylestown

6:30 p.m. Candlelight vigil Main Street & Mill Roads, Quakertown

6:30 p.m. Candlelight vigil Ambler Church of the Brethren, 351 East Butler Avenue, Ambler. Featuring reflections from interfaith clergy, music, poetry. Contact Al Krass at cfpabuxmont@verizon.net or at (215) 547-2656

Chester and Delaware Counties, Pennsylvania
6:30-7:30 p.m. Visit to District Office of Congressman Joe Sestak, 600 N. Jackson Street, Suite 203, Media
6:30-7:30 pm. Rallies at Baltimore Pike and Route 252, Media;at Baltimore Pike and Chester Road (Keystone Park), and at Lansdowne and Baltimore Avenues (near Lansdowne Borough Hall) Contact: David Gibson, (P) 610-623-3724 peacehome@earthlink.net

York, Pennsylvania People for Peace & Justice; an affiliate of CFPA March 22, 2008 10:30AM to 1:00PM
Gather in the parking lot of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of York, 925 South George St. at 10:30 for an eleven block walk to the center of York for a rally calling for redirection of our resources from war to justice. Contact: Leada Dietz, (P) 717-515-0631; e-mail: leadadietz@epix.net