On March 18 and 19, the Third Anniversary of the War- by tht TRopps out coaliton

The Troops Out Now Coalition joins the world movement against the war in calling for coordinated mass protests and resistance to the war and occupation of Iraq on the weekend of March 18 and 19, the third anniversary of the U.S. invasion. It must be clear that the people will not be fooled by partial withdrawal plans. We Demand the withdrawal of all occupation troops now.

Let’s stand together with our sisters and brothers across the world against all colonial occupations from Iraq and Palestine, to Afghanistan and Haiti, to the Philippines, South Korea and Puerto Rico. Stop the threats on Iran and Venezuela. Hands Off Cuba. Together we demand no more new wars.

Bush’s arrogant response to the demand to withdraw the troops from Iraq is a renewed vow to continue the criminal colonial occupation of Iraq and elsewhere until "victory". The leaders of the Democratic Party, for all their criticism of the way that the Bush regime has conducted the war, remain war supporters.

If we’ve learned anything over the past 3 years, it is that the only force that we can rely on to stop the war and occupation, bring the troops home, and to stop the plan for world empire by military force is the people mobilized into a mass, militant movement that makes itself felt in the streets.

In the U.S., TONC urges all anti-war forces, at the local and national level, to work together on the mobilizations in March for this is the best way to insure that the popular opposition to the war be turned into mass opposition in the streets. It is not necessary that all coalitions have identical views BUT it is necessary that we not allow differences to be an obstacle to unity.

With the level of opposition to the war stronger than ever, we could bring the entire country to a halt on March 18 and 19. We, as a movement, can do just that if we commit to forging unity.

TONC will be organizing for March 18 and 19 in every city large and small, from Boston, to Los Angeles, from Atlanta to Detroit. In New York City, TONC invites everyone to join us in a mass convervence on Times Square for a 1PM rally on Saturday, March 18, followed by a march to the U.N. to demand to demand "US/UN hands off Iran! Investigate Bush’s human rights violations in the Gulf Coast!" We hope to underscore the reality that we are fighting to stop two wars— the war abroad and the war at home against racism and poverty.

Amongst the many challenges that we face as anti-war activists and organizers, nothing is more important than linking the concrete struggles of poor and working people, especially people of color in this country, to the anti-war struggle. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s denial of clemency to death row inmate, Stanley "Tookie" Williams, is only the latest example of the systemic racism that oppresses, tortures and kills people in many different ways.

Our unity is strengthened by supporting full rights for immigrant workers here in the U.S. - not sweeps, arrests, deportation and fear. And our unity is strengthened by standing with people struggling for the right to return to their homes - this includes tens of thousands of people in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast kept from their homes by the criminal neglect and racism of FEMA to the Palestinian people struggling for the right to return to their historic homeland.

The racism and lethal hostility of the government towards poor and working people, exposed by the response to Hurricane Katrina, has made the strengthening of links all the more urgent. TONC proposes that all anti-war and progressive forces demonstrate solidarity with the struggle of Katrina survivors by making the demand for justice for Katrina survivors central to the March protests by engaging communities of color; making the protests relevant to these communities; coordinating with the survivors of Katrina and the activists that are involved in the Katrina struggle.

Let’s keep the movement where it needs to be— in the streets and let’s work together like never before.

REMEMBER DR. KING - FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE UNITE AND SHUT THE WAR DOWN! - March 18 and 19 will mark the third anniversary of the Invasion of Iraq. This offers all of us a precious opportunity to help transform the rising anger against the war into a human tidal wave of antiwar resistance in the streets. The Troops Out Now Coalition calls on the entire antiwar community, at the local and national level to remember Martin Luther King Jr., by emulating his boldness, conviction, courage, and capacity to rise above the fray and keep his eyes on the prize. We invite activists and organizations to join together to realize the powerful potential of united national days of action on the weekend of March 18 & 19.

UNITY MEANS CONNECTING THE FRONTS IN THE STRUGGLE - Whether it is the struggle for Jobs, Healthcare, Housing, Pensions, and a Living Wage, or the struggle in support of the Katrina Hurricane evacuees or the struggle to defend political prisoners and immigrant rights. These issues are inherently linked to the struggle against the occupation of Iraq, Palestine, Haiti, and the rest of the world. These struggles are different fronts of the same struggle — the struggle against Empire. Our movement is stronger when it embraces and links all of the fronts in the struggle.

MASS CONVERGENCE ON TIMES SQUARE - In the New York area we propose as a strategy for Saturday March 18 the targeting the neighborhood recruiting offices in the morning, and converging on the most infamous recruiting office in the country, in Times Square, in the afternoon.

SHUT DOWN THE MILITARY RECRUITERS - COAST TO COAST - TONC proposes that the movement jointly target military recruitment offices all across the country on this weekend with coordinated protest, especially neighborhood recruitment offices in poor, and working class communities of color. Over the past year, the counter-recruiting movement has had enormous success, as parents, students and activists confront military recruiters on campus and in communities. Military recruiting is at an all-time low, as young people refuse to be cannon fodder for the Empire. This is a critical weak point —we can shut the war down, and the way to start is by shutting down military recruiting.

LET’S STAY IN THE STREETS THIS YEAR (& every year) - The reasons for working together outweigh those for not doing so by a thousand to one. Especially this year, it’s up to us to make sure that the antiwar movement doesn’t transfer all of its hope and energy into the Congressional elections next fall. Politicians will use and mislead us, but they are not going to shut the war down and bring the troops home. Our existence as an independent force, our power, our strength, our ability to forge alliances, to grow, and stop this criminal war depends on us staying in the streets.

Some of the organizations and individuals that are affiliated with TONC include:
Ramsey Clark, former U.S. Attorney General
Brenda Stokely, Million Worker March
Charles Barron, NY City Council Member*
Chuck Turner, Boston City Council Member*
Steve Gillis, President USWA Local 8751*
Leslie Feinberg, Co-Chair LGBT Caucus National Writers Union*
Million Workers March Movement
International Action Center
NY Committee to Defend Palestine
New Jersey Solidarity— Activists for the Liberation of Palestine
Harlem Tenants Council
Alberto Lovera Bolivarian Circle
BAYAN USA
Korea Truth Commission
Artists & Activists United for Peace
NYCHRP - NY Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
NYC Labor Against the War
Queers for Peace & Justice
Fanmi Lavalas
Committee to Support the Iraqi People
Jersey City Peace Movement
No War Westchester
Action Center for Justice
Al-Awda Palestine Right to Return Coalition NY-NJ
All Peoples Congress
American-Iranian Friendship Committee
Arab American Civic Organization
Asia Pacific Action
Association of Mexican American Workers
Central New Jersey Coalition for Peace and Justice
Citizens for Peace, Cobb County
FIST - Fight Imperialism, Stand Together
Haiti Support Network
International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu Jamal
High County Peace & Justice
Louisiana Activist Network
Louisville Peace Action Community
MLK Bolivarian Circle
Metro Justice, Rochester
Michigan Emergency Committee Against War and Injustice
Minneapolis Anti-War Committee
Movement in Motion Arts Collective
New College Alliance for Peace
New England Human Rights Organization for Haiti
New School Human Rights Group
NISPOP- Network in Solidarity with the People of the Philippines
No Draft No Way Network
Northeast Ohio Antiwar Coalition
NY Committee to Free the Five
Olean Area Coalition for Peace & Justice
People Judge Bush
Peoples Video Network
Progressive Action for the Common Good
Richmond Action Center
Somerville 5 Defense Committee
South Jersey Coalition for Peace & Justice
South Mississippi United for Peace
Stonewall Warriors
United American Indians of New England
Womens Fightback Network