4000th US - 1,000,000 Iraq War Dead Commemoration Candle Light Vigil 7:30 MONDAY 23MAR2008

Commemorate the lives and deaths of U.S. Soldiers and Iraqis

AFSC urges peace supporters to organize events in their hometowns the day after the 4,000th U.S. military death in Iraq is announced.

Together, we'll mourn all the lives lost in this war and call for the troops to come home.

http://www.afsc.org/4000/index.php?SearchTerm=FL&Submit=Search&m=r

http://icasualties.org/oif/

Tallahassee

5 Years Too Many Tallahassee Iraq War 5th Anniversary observation

To commemorate the beginning of the sixth year of the illegal, immoral, and unjust war of aggression against the people of Iraq, local political activists and citizens of all stripes gathered at Lake Ella in Tallahassee on Wednesday March 19th as evening fell.


The names names of Florida's war dead were read to the tolling of a large Buddhist bell echoing through the neighborhoods surrounding Lake Ella.




Groups represented included TNJP, Tallahasseans Who think Its Time To Come Home, Vets for Peace, Vietnam Vets Against War, CodePINK, MoveOn.org and regular citizens including at least two active-duty members of the military.

Turnout was lower than expected due to a driving rainstorm. Still, approximately one hundred turned out to raise voice and witness to the disastrous (pick your adjective) misadventure in Iraq.

See the full photo album on Picassa

More below the fold...

Tallahassee anti-war activists dropped banners in several locations today to mark the fifth anniversary of the Iraq Occupation. Above is a shot of one on an overpass on I-10.

Later this evening there will be a candlelight procession around Lake Ella on N. Monroe St. starting at 7:30 PM.

Hundeds are expected to attend...

Live Blogging Sunday Peace Vigil

Live blogging here in front of the old Capital. Beautiful day, light breeze, mid sixties. We have a planning and strategy meeting ongoing vis-a-vis the March 19th Iraq War fifth anniversary. AKA, FIVE YEARS TOO MANY!

The event is to take palce at Lake Ella on N. Monroe St. in downtown Tallt. Looks like there will be a reading of Florida's war dead from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM and then a candlelight procession around the lake to follow.

Central Florida Tour with Col. Ann Wright Jan 24 - Jan 29, 2008

CODEPINK Florida women Monica, Leslie, Deidra, Sheri, Lydia and 6 UCF women joined forces in putting together the most fantastic and fun book signing tour ever for the beloved Col. Ann Wright and her book “DISSENT - Voices of Conscience”. Tons of Kudos also to Mike Fox, Jeannie Toth and Samm Simpson in the Tampa/Clearwater/St. Petersburg area, Faith Fippenger in Sarasota, Michael Heaney for his contacts, Dr. Dennis Jett and Mabel at UF and John Bersia and Stephanie at UCF. Finally, a special thanks to Scott and Sherrie Camil, Veterans For Peace in Gainesville.

Here’s what we did:
Ann touched down in Sarasota on Thursday, Jan 24th. Ann remarked that it was the “geriatric flight” - cracked her up. Faith Fippenger, Monica Spain and I met her and headed home to meet Marco Bell of Marco and Monica/CODEPINK Sarasota. Monica was the point person for the Sarasota News and Books event later that evening. Ann was introduced by Arnie Schmidz from the Southwest Florida Coalition for Peace and Justice. She gave the most wonderful talk. She autographed books at every event which was really special for all who attended. After a great talk we headed up the street to a wonderful Two Senoritas Restaurant, compliments of the CODEPINK Sarasota women (there were, by the way, a number of them at the event - you know who you are :-D)...

Imagine a world in which war is truly a last resort, all school children learn peace making skills, and the best minds in the country get sophisticated, research-based training in peace building. That's what would happen under legislation that has been introduced in the U.S. House and Senate to establish a federal Department of Peace and Nonviolence.

Art meets protest at the Peace Crane installation that Tallahasseeans Who Believe It’s Time to Come Home have set up at Tallahassee's Railroad Square. Nearly 4200 origami peace cranes have been displayed and strung up lining the street and winding through the trees. On Friday evening Dec. 7th hundreds and hundreds of folks passed through the display during visits to the local arts enclave.



The local CBS affiliate graced the event with a 22 second report on Friday...

more pics below the fold...

We had our Veterans Day die-in protest today at 11am (11-11-11). It was a powerful experience with 16 people "dying" 10 minutes at a time... 2 different locations on busy touristy St. George St. In St. Augustine, FL). We had some wonderful support and encouragement but way too much of an angry response. Still, people were yelling.."We got rid of Saddam"," We are fighting for freedom" and a cop overheard calling us "idiots".

However, I know we made an impact, we made people uncomfortable and reminded them that people actually do die in a war. Here are pictures on Webshot and also here is an article written for our Independent paper, The Collective Press.
Enjoy...
Marilyn/PPJ/St. Augustine (memeber of www.solidarityandpeace.org)

Why, Mommy?
By Mary Lawrence
Why indeed. I died on Veterans Day 11/11/07 at 11 a.m in St Augustine as one of 3860 US soldiers, 141 journalists and 1,100,000 Iraqis. Lying on the hard ground, seeing nothing and hearing footsteps and muffled conversations, throughout it all, one child's plaintive voice broke through: "Why, Mommy?"

"Because they're tired, honey."...

This brings back memories of the Tallahassee Veterans Parade circa 2003 (see story below), when local anti-war veteran Tom Baxter and 30 others were kicked out of the Tallahassee parade...

Veterans and Military Families Barred From Marching in Veterans Day Parade

The L.A. chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War was recently denied permission to march in the Long Beach Veterans Day Parade on the grounds that they do not "represent the spirit of the parade." On November 7 members of IVAW, Veterans For Peace and Military Families Speak Out (whose local contingents were also denied permission to march) spoke before a meeting of the Long Beach City Council and asked the Council to overturn the Parade Committee's decision to ban them from the march. The Council denied their request...

On December 7th 2007, the First Friday in December, the local grassroots organization, "Tallahasseeans Who Believe It's Time To Come Home" will hang approximately 4,000 white origami cranes in the sculpture garden at the entrance to Railroad Square. The debut of this installation will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday night although we hope to keep the cranes up for as long as possible.

The cranes, a universal symbol of peace, will also represent the number of soldiers who have died in the Iraq war. This installation has a personal, local significance as well; it will serve as a memorial to Julian McMackin Woodall,a local Marine who was killed in Iraq in May, who loved to make these cranes as a child...

Saturday, October 27th
Energy Building for National Day of Action
END THE WAR IN IRAQ, NOW!

With just four days before the 11 massive regional demonstrations and other actions around the country, the energy is growing and momentum is building. The people of this country know this war is wrong and it must stop. On Saturday, from many cities but in one voice, we will send a clear and unified message: end this war, bring the troops home, fund our communities!

You can get the most up-to-date information about the plans for the protest in the city nearest you by going to www.oct27.org. There you can find details about the day's activities, leaflets to download and copy so you can help spread the word, information about transportation to the regional action near you and much more.

It is not too late to make your plans to get to one of these mobilizations. And it is not too late to help us make sure everyone knows what's happening on Saturday, and that they are encouraged to participate.

Here are some things you can to do to help build October 27th:

* Send a copy of this message to everyone you know, to every email address you have.

* Share the video generously produced by Robert Greenwald and Brave New Foundation in support of the mobilization with others, and encourage them to sign the October 27th pledge. http://oct27.org/brave_new_video (more below the fold)...

Thousands Expected As Orlando Joins 10 U.S. Cities Mobilizing to End the War in Iraq

WHEN: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm

WHERE: Rally at Lake Eola (NE corner). 3 mile march from Robinson to Parramore to Church St to Orange Ave to Central and returning to Eola Drive & Robinson.

On October 27, thousands of people from all walks of life will take to the streets in Orlando and 10 other cities as they host regional marches and rallies to end the War in Iraq and prevent new wars. The event in Orlando is expected to be the largest peace rally ever held in Florida. Local organizers from a variety of groups are working together to host the October 27 march, which is welcoming participants from throughout Florida and the greater Southeast.

Speakers Include:
Michael Albert - activist, author of "From SDS to Life After Capitalism" & founder of Z-Magazine
Lucas Benitez - Coalition of Immokalee Workers
Debra Booth - AFL-CIO & Central Florida Labor Council
Scott Camil - Veteran for Peace
Michael Canney - Green Party of Florida, Co-Chair
maTT De Vlieger - SDS @ UCF (M.C. of the day)
Denise Diaz - Central Florida Jobs with Justice
Sen. Mike Gravel - Anti-war Candidate for President '08
Clifton Hicks - Iraq veteran against the war (IVAW)
Jesse Kern - Veterans for Peace (Korean War Veteran)
?Congressman Dennis Kucinich - Presidential Candidate for Peace '08
Omar Masri - Speaker from UFPJ Steering Committee
Peg McIntire (97yo) - Grandparents for Peace, St. Augustine
David Rucker - Metropolitan Democratic Black Caucus & former President of the Orange County NAACP
Bruce Wright - St. Pete for Peace
Lydia Vickers - CodePink...

FSU, FAMU students walk out in reaction to verdict
October 12, 2007 By Jim Ash Florida Capital Bureau Chief
TALLAHASSEE -- Some students walked out of classes at Florida A&M University and Florida State University today to protest the not-guilty verdict handed down in the trial of seven boot camp guards and a nurse accused of manslaughter in last-year's death of 14-year-old Martin Lee Anderson.

"I just got several phone calls. Please let everyone know that we are not organizing this, these people walked out on their own. The kids are just mad." said Vanessa Baden, an organizer for the Student Coalition for Justice....

Photo slideshows at the Tally Dem here and here...
audio of protestors chanting...
more news and video below the fold...

While searching for videos of the student walkout protest of the Martin Lee Anderson Bay County boot camp manslaughter vedict, I ran across this old video of the March 2nd 2004 March on Tallahassee by local film maker and former Tallahassee IMCista Ian Weir.