On the 5th anniversary of the U.S. occupation of Iraq, the people of Florida say:
U.S. Out of Iraq Now!
March 19, 2008, will mark the fifth anniversary of the illegal, unjust and disastrous invasion of Iraq by the U.S. military. On March 19, 2003, as the bombing began, thousands of people joined protests around the country. 
On March 19, 2008, the people of Florida will continue this resistance with demonstrations on campuses and communities after work all around the state. Protests are being organized in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tallahassee, and Gainesville. All of these demonstrations are being organized under the banner to end the war now: our united presence will be felt throughout the state on this day. Call to join us in this initiative at 954-707-0155 or email March19@answerfl.org.
The Iraq War is the second longest in U.S. history. It has killed more than one million Iraqis and 4,000 U.S. troops. Hundreds of thousands more have been wounded. Nearly five million Iraqis have been made refugees by the war and occupation. Over a quarter of Iraq's population has been killed, wounded or displaced. While Bush and his partners in the Democratic Party talk endlessly about "supporting the troops," tens of thousands of returning soldiers have life-altering wounds, both physical and psychological, and totally inadequate medical care and benefits. Many are already homeless.
The cost of the war is now running at more than $400 million per day, nearly $5,000 per second. Military-industrial corporations and big banks are reaping huge profitswhile millions of people go without health care, decent housing and jobs. Much of the country's infrastructure -- bridges, roads, water systems, schools -- is falling apart. The same banks that are evicting millions of people from their homes are the ones profiting from the war.
We are not only calling for an immediate end to the war, but initiating a larger call to fight these same corporations and bankers in their war against working and poor people here at home. The elections will show that neither Democratic nor Republican candidates, both funded bybig business, will come up with a plan to end the war in Iraq or the economic war being waged against us here at home. These parties are, in fact, working side by side with those handing out the pink slips and eviction notices. We say bring the war home!
By building solidarity with working people abroad and fighting our common enemies here we will be taking the steps to build a new world free of war, racism, and economic injustice!
March 19 5th Anniversary Florida Action Initiators:
|
Muhammed Malik
ANSWER-Miami
|
Jim Sanders
Broward Anti-War Coalition |
Antonio Franco
ANSWER-Orlando |
Lana Shehadeh
Project Downtown |
|
Veronica Bernace
Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights
|
Marc Luzietti
Socialist Party Candidate for FL's 20th
Congressional District |
Jacob Coker-Dukowitz
Student Leader, University of Miami |
Alan Kobrin
Green Party |
|
Michael Prysner
Iraq War Veteran, Party for Socialism and Liberation Candidate for FL's 22nd Congressional District |
Chris Ernesto
St. Pete for Peace |
Yaniv Kleinan,
Black Mangrove Collective, Miami |
Call 954-707-0155 to join the organizing efforts underway in the following cities:
|
Miami
5PM
Torch of Friendship
Biscayne Blvd
|
Orlando
5PM
Lake Eola Park
101 N Rosalind Ave |
Tallahassee
5PM
Federal Court House
110 E. Park Ave |
|
Tampa Bay Area
11am to 1pm
Hernando County Courthouse
20 N Main St
4pm to 6pm
Tampa Federal Courthouse
801 N FL Ave. |
Fort Lauderdale
5pm
Federal Building
299 East Broward Boulevard |
Gainesville
5PM
University of Florida
Administration Building
1080 SW 11th Street
|
Bring all the troops home now! End colonial occupation: Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine! Money for jobs, housing, healthcare & schools, not war! Stop the threats against Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Sudan! No to racism & anti-immigrant attacks! Bring all the troops home now! End colonial occupation: Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine! Money for jobs, housing, healthcare & schools, not war! Stop the threats against Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Sudan! No to racism & anti-immigrant attacks! Bring all the troops home now! End colonial occupation: Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine! Money for jobs, housing, healthcare & schools, not war! Stop the threats against Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Sudan! No to racism & anti-immigrant attacks!
Michael Prysner's testimony at Winter Soldier
Watch the video below!
"We were told we were fighting terrorism...The real terrorism was this occupation... I threw families onto the street in Iraq only to come home and seefamilies thrown onto the street in this country in this tragic and unnecessary foreclosure crisis... Our enemy is not 5,000 miles away: they are right here at home." -- Michael Prysner
In the must-watch video below, Iraq war veteran and ANSWER organizer Michael Prysner retells his horrifying responsibilities as an occupation soldier, and denounces the Army officers whoused racism and bigotry in order to justify theoppression of theIraqi people. Prysner's eloquentand compellingtestimony cuts through the Pentagon's propagandaand exposes the truth of the Iraqoccupation-- please circulate this video to your friends, family members, classmates, co-workers and listservs.
Prysner joined the U.S. Army at age 17 andin March 2003, he was deployed to northern Iraq. He remained there for 12 months. Bearing witness to the many crimes of the occupation, Prysner became a staunch opponent of the war, and in 2005 he began organizing and speaking out against it. The four-day Winter Soldier event was organized by Iraq War Veterans Against the War.
Part 1:
Credit: jophdu
Part 2:
Credit: jophdu