End the wars abroad and at home

Sept. 17 — As of today, organizations in nearly 20 cities in North America have called demonstrations, meetings, vigils or other actions for the weekend of Oct. 5-7, along with a solidarity action in London, to mark the 11th anniversary of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Afghanistan.

The demonstrations, which were called and coordinated by the United National Antiwar Coalition and others, have highlighted three issues: ending the occupation of Afghanistan, demanding hands off Syria, and no war on Iran. UNAC is also protesting the “war at home,” meaning both the persecution of Muslims and the stop-and-frisk laws in the U.S.

The killing of the U.S. ambassador in Benghazi, Libya, has sharpened the international crisis. U.S. militarists may press for even more intervention, while the Pentagon is sending warships to Libya and posting Marines at U.S. embassies. The proxy war against Syria continues, as do the threats against Iran.

This all makes anti-war protests even more necessary. Here are some.

In Los Angeles, a rally will be held Oct. 6 at Pershing Square, 532 S. Olive St., at 2 p.m. The broad coalition sponsoring the protest includes the International Action Center, School of the Americas Watch-L.A., Arab Americans for Syria, Latinos Against the War, and Union of Progressive Iranians. For more information and to endorse the protest, call 323-306-6240.

Also in Los Angeles, a march to “shut down the military recruitment center” is set for the same day at noon at Hollywood and Highland.

In New York, UNAC has called for a march on Oct. 7 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. centered at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building Plaza at 163 West 125th St. in Harlem. A UNAC press release says they were able to win a permit after “a fight and a lot of work by Nellie Bailey, of the Harlem Tenants Council and Black Agenda Report, and Imam Talib, president of the Islamic Leadership Council of Metro N.Y.”

The march is timed specifically to avoid conflict with an important Bertrand Russell Tribunal on Palestine, which is taking place in New York, that same weekend but ending before the protest is scheduled to begin.

In Chicago, protesters will march to Boeing headquarters at 435 N. Michigan Ave. at 3 p.m. on Oct. 7. For more information, call 773-301-0109.

A particularly broad coalition has set a protest in Minneapolis on Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. to meet along the sidewalks at Hennepin and Lagoon Avenues and march at 1:30. For details, call 612-522-1861 or 612-827-5364.

In San Francisco, a march and rally will be held Oct. 6 at noon at Powell and Market Streets. Also scheduled in California’s Bay Area is a Civil Liberties Teach-in at Laney College in Oakland on Oct. 1-3, organized by Northern California UNAC.

The Michigan Emergency Committee Against War and Injustice is setting the time and place at its meeting this evening for the protest in Detroit on the Oct. 5-7 weekend. Thetime and place of the Philadelphia protest have not yet been set.

Other actions are already set for Salt Lake City; Richmond, Va.; Talahassee, Fla.; Duluth, Mn.; Columbus, Ohio; Concord, N.H.; and Albany, N.Y. on or near the Oct. 5-7 weekend.

In Vancouver, Canada, at 1 p.m. on Oct. 6 an event at the Vancouver Art Gallery, Robson & Howe Streets downtown, is sponsored by the Mobilization Against War & Occupation. For details, call 604-322-1764.

The Canadian Peace Alliance is also planning actions in other Canadian cities.

For more information on the individual cities or to add your own city to the list, see october7actions.net/wordpress.