Carry forward the actions Against the Military Recruiters and the War!

Important actions have been taking place around the country, especially in Berkley, but also here in DC (see report below), and people want to take it higher.

Come to a meeting to plan for the next action.
Thursday, March 13th, 6:30 at 1199/MLK Labor Center
310 West 43rd St, 7th Floor between 8th and 9th Avenues (closer to 8th Avenue)

Report from NYC:
February 15th Actions against the Military Recruiters and the War
Two NYC recruiting stations were closed and thousands were touched in various ways by actions that were part of a national day of action against the military recruiters and against the war in Iraq, on the 6th Iraq Moratorium Day. Our actions were charged and inspired by the battle shaping up in Berkeley and hope to seize on this moment to popularize the outpouring of resistance to the new recruiting center in Berkeley, among students from Berkeley High and from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

At 1:00 P.M., organizers held a press conference on the steps of City Hall. Debra Sweet, national director of World Can't Wait, Elaine Brower, a national steering committee member of World Can't Wait whose son was stationed in Iraq, and representatives of CodePink and the Granny Peace Brigades spoke stations about the day's protest in East Harlem and delivered a strong message in support of the protests in Berkeley over the past week. The American Friends Service Committee came with their "Cost of War" exhibition. Lots of press were there including: El Diario/La Prensa, New York Times, NY1, CNN, IndyMedia and WBAI.

At 3:00 PM people from World Can't Wait, college students from Students for a Democratic Society, the Granny Peace Brigade, MDS-SI, the Harlem Revolution Club, and CodePink gathered outside the Army Carrier Center in East Harlem/"El Barrio". Again, lots of media were there: CNN, New Tang Dynasty TV, the New York Times, Next Left Notes and the student paper at Yeshiva University.

Though it was only mid-afternoon, the center was closed with its gate down. A number of news media were there and the on-line edition of New York Times had an article about it entitled "the Army Recruiter Is Not In", which included the following reporting:

"'The question of military recruitment is important because you can't carry out this war without fresh troops,' said Debra Sweet, the director of an organization called World Can't Wait! Drive Out the Bush Regime. 'These troops are being trained to carry out war crimes. We're sending a message that military recruiters are not welcome to prey on youth. The war will be stopped by the action of the people. That is the only way it will be stopped'."

"'What are they recruiting for?' the protesters chanted, replying, "Murder, rape, torture, war!"
"They held aloft signs with the messages 'Say No to the Military Recruitment Center' and 'Shut Down The Military Recruiters! No Iraq War! Drive Out Bush Regime!""

This picture was posted on NY Times on-line edition (Photo: Jennifer S. Altman):

"Capt. Charles V. Jaquillard, the Army Recruitment Command's company commander for New York City, said the East Harlem office was not closed because of the protest. 'We were conducting a training,' he said, 'We had everybody out at Fort Hamilton today."
What occurred as further protest actions continued that day appears to contradict the Army's explanation for the center's closing. (see below)

With the East Harlem recruitment center closed, protesters marched to another recruitment station, in central Harlem on 125th Street. The spirited march of 40, joined at this point by students coming from Fordham Students Against the War action, marched up through East Harlem/"El Barrio", and then across on 125th Street. It was warmly greeted by many of the hundreds it passed along its route. Several street vendors took signs. Some joined the march along the way, including a very outspoken Afro-American woman from East Harlem, whose son is now in Iraq, who came and spoke the bitterness of many of how the lives of their sons were being jeopardized in an unjust war, based on lies.


Caught by surprise, this central Harlem recruiting station was still open. A crowd gathered as demonstrators stood in front of the doors. There was an informal "speak out" as a small crowd gathered. Minor scuffles broke out when a couple of people tried to brush through the protesters standing in front of the door entrance to the recruiting center and eventually the police were called to escort the military recruiters out of the recruitment center. By 5:00 PM, the central Harlem recruiting center was closed.






2 closed recruitment centers in one day - not bad.