United National
Antiwar Committee
UNACpeace@gmail.com or UNAC at P.O. Box 123, Delmar, NY 12054
518-227-6947 www.UNACpeace.org
UNAC Statement on U.S. Non-Intervention in Libya and Other Countries.
Building Mass Demonstrations April 9/10
Report on Wisconsin.
UNAC Statement on U.S. Non-Intervention in Libya and Other Countries
At great risks to their lives, activists organizing to oppose oppressive, dictatorial regimes in the Middle East and North Africa have inspired us by their courage and determination. We ruefully acknowledge past and continuing U.S. support for dictatorships and military rule in the region. We recognize that the U.S. has been directly involved in supplying weapons and other forms of support to regimes that have committed atrocious human rights abuses against civilians. Conscious of our responsibility to stop the United States from further manipulations that would interfere with movements on behalf of true democratic developments in other countries, UNAC calls for an immediate halt to U.S. intervention in regions and countries where mass mobilizations are challenging oppressive regimes.
We have seen the horrific consequences of U.S./U.N. imposed economic sanctions against Iraq, as well as the consequences of U.S./U.N. operation of “no-fly zones” over northern and southern Iraq, prior to the U.S. Shock and Awe attacks and invasion.
We therefore oppose any form of U.S. military or economic intervention in Libya, Egypt, Bahrain, Tunisia and other countries where movements are rising in opposition to dictatorships and military rule.
Building April 9th and 10th.
The myth that the US military can bring democracy to countries like Iraq and Afghanistan is being exposed as we approach 10 years of occupation in Afghanistan with little in the way of democracy to show for it. Yet it took the largely non-violent masses of Egypt only 18 days.
As revolutionary upsurges directed at U.S.-supported dictatorships continue through Northern Africa and the Middle East, the need for a vibrant antiwar movement in the US becomes clearer. We must build a movement that can help stay the hand of the US military from intervening in these struggles. It is in this context that we are building the demonstrations on April 9th in New York City and April 10th in San Francisco.
The examples of Tunisia and Egypt are being learned by the masses throughout the world as one country after the next explode with protest. This is not only true in Northern Africa and the Middle East but the workers in Greece have had 8 general strikes in the past months, students in Puerto Rico are fighting against tuition increases, and the workers in Wisconsin occupy the Capitol and refuse to leave.
The world has changed since we held the founding conference of UNAC last July and the April 9th and 10th demonstrations have taken on an added importance. This is a major opportunity to bring the broad movement against war and repression at home and abroad together in a unified show of force and solidarity as we protest U.S. policies and show the interconnectedness of these struggles. We need to work together to make these demonstrations as big as possible. The list of over 400 endorsers continues to grow from groups around the country and around the world. Solidarity demonstrations are being planned in several other countries including Afghanistan.
If your organization has not yet endorsed, please click here and do so. If you have not yet sent in your transportation information, please click here and do so. Now is the time to make a big push towards April 9th and 10th.
UNAC needs volunteers now and on the day of the actions. If you can volunteer to help, please let us know when you are available by emailing to UNACpeace@gmail.com.
We also need your financial support. Please send a check to UNAC at UNAC, PO Box 123, Delmar, NY 12054.
Report on Wisconsin.
A UNAC team was present at the rally of 100,000 in Wisconsin on Saturday, February 26. We carried a 12-foot banner and handed out thousands of leaflets for the April 9th demonstration with the added demand of “Stop the War on Unions” and included the UNAC statement in support of the Wisconsin workers (click here to see the statement).
Phil Wilayto, one of the people who headed our team reported, “On Saturday, temperatures were in the mid-teens and it was snowing hard, but spirits were soaring as some 100,000 union members, students, youth and other supporters began pouring into the capital area. Using a sympathetic coffeehouse as a base (almost all small businesses in the city display signs supporting the unions), we managed to get out around 4,000 fliers. The response was tremendous. While leafleting, we had lots of conversations with workers about the links between the war budget and the state deficit. People were very open and receptive, many were in full agreement and I don’t know of anyone receiving a negative comment.”
In solidarity,
Joe Lombardo and Marilyn Levin
UNAC co-coordinators