[O29] Proposal for demonstration: Money for Relief, Not War

[Dan DiMaggio]

Hi everyone,

The disaster of Hurricane Katrina has exposed how backward the priorities of
our government are - spending hundreds of billions to fight an unjust war in
Iraq while defunding levee systems and leaving tens of thousands of mainly
poor, African-American people to suffer and die in New Orleans.  I think that
this is a turning point in American society - "the bursting point," as David
Brooks called it in the New York Times.  Socialist Alternative would like to
propose that the October 29th coalition discuss and organize a demonstration
soon in solidarity with the victims of Hurricane Katrina to demand "Money for
Relief, Not for War."  Since this coalition includes activists from many
different anti-war organizations, a demonstration organized by this coalition
would be capable of mobilizing the largest numbers of people, more than just
demonstrations called by any of our individual organizations (although I'm not
trying to discourage that).  Such a demonstration should try to reach out to
African-American community organizations and clearly protest the racist (lack
of) response on the part of the government.  It could also help to mobilize
people for September 24th.  I think that it would be best if this demonstration
was organized soon - sometime next week - both to give us time to organize it
but also to respond rapidly to these events.  A demonstration in front of the
Federal Building would probably be the most effective.  I think that people are
looking for a way to vent their anger at the government on this issue, and that
it is our task to organize a political response.  September 24th will be the
big one, but a united local action before then would also be good.

Can this be placed on the agenda for tonight's meeting?

In solidarity,

Dan DiMaggio
Boston Socialist Alternative
Tufts Coalition Opposed to the War in Iraq

"If there is no struggle there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters.... Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will."
Frederick Douglass, 1857


	
		
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