Home > Hunger Strike at the White House starting July 4 to End the Iraq War

Hunger Strike at the White House starting July 4 to End the Iraq War

by Open-Publishing - Saturday 1 July 2006
5 comments

Movement Strikes Wars and conflicts USA Cindy Sheehan

On July 3, 2006, CODEPINK: Women for Peace, Global Exchange and Gold Star Families for Peace will announce a historic hunger strike against the war in Iraq. At 5pm, they will sit down in front of the White House to eat their last meal and hold a press conference before beginning the fast at the same location in the morning of July 4 at 10am.

“We’ve marched, held vigils, lobbied Congress, camped out at Bush’s ranch. We’ve even gone to jail. Now it’s time to do more,” says peace mom Cindy Sheehan. “While others are celebrating July 4th with barbeques, we’ll be showing our patriotism by putting our bodies on the line to bring our troops home.”

Hundreds of celebrities, veterans, mothers, and concerned citizens across the country will participate in a rolling fast. Strikers include musicians Willie Nelson and Michael Franti, actors Danny Glover, Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon, Gold Star parents Cindy Sheehan and Fernando Suarez, legendary faster and comedian Dick Gregory, environmental activist Diane Wilson, Iraq war veteran Geoffrey Millard and Gulf War vet Michael McPherson, labor leader Dolores Huerta and CODEPINK cofounders Medea Benjamin, Jodie Evans and Gael Murphy.

The organizers call on a long history of fasts for political purposes, claiming their place among the Suffragettes, Mahatmas Gandhi and Cesar Chavez. In honor of this rich history, the fasters will gather at the Gandhi memorial statue a Massachusetts and 21st NW on July 3 at 3pm, then march to Pennsylvania Avenue for the meal and press conference at 5pm. In other parts of the country, people will engage in rolling fasts, passing the fast from person to person every 24 hours.

Diane Wilson, who has engaged in several hunger strikes in her history as an environmental activist, says she will not set an end date to her fast. “My goal is to bring the troops home. I don’t know how long I can fast, but I’m making this open-ended,” she says. “I plan to take this as far as I’ve ever taken anything in my 58 years. I fear our future is at stake, and I’m ready to make a major sacrifice.”

The fast will last until September 21, 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.
http://www.commondreams.org/news2006/0627-04.htm

Forum posts

  • Some obese people will loose some pounds, but will it help the cause? I doubt!

  • Yes, we all want an end to the war in Iraq. But, where were these activists when our embassies were bombed, when the USS Cole got attacked or the meriad of other terrorist acts occured through out the World. It seems to me that these activists should be protesting against the suicide bombers and the extremists and not against the Coalitions Humanitarian effort. Yes, let’s knock out Terrorism where it breeds and bring our Troops home, safely, now.

    • Does it make sense to protest the actions of a few terrorists half way around the world, or the policies of one’s own government? Protesting the actions of foreign terrorists, will not change outcomes, but protesting the actions of one’s government can change policy if they are large enough and sustained enough. Witness vietnam.

      How many suicide bombers were there before we invaded Iraq in March 2003? A tiny fraction of what we see today. This is their strategy to get the ever shrinking "coalition" (ie occupation) forces out. If we did get out, I suspect the suicide bombings would subside over time.

      You say "knock out terrorism where it breeds" as if that is a simple act. Just like we did in Afghanistan, but look at the situation there now, as bad as ever. The war on terrorism is an ill defined, never ending conflagration to empower and enrich the warmongers. Bring the troops home now, that is the only thing you say that I can get behind.

    • "humanitarian effort"....that is really hysterical...killing innocent Iraqis and Afganis is now a HUMANITARIAN EFFORT....sick sick sick.

    • skipping food for one day is a good idea....fasting is healthy if done properly. Please consider giving $5.00 to your local food bank as a further way to support the peace effort.