175+ declare "No Attack on Iran!" Next freeze action: Monday, July 21st - Penn Station
(details and other plans below)
At 5:00 pm on Thursday, July 10th, people started to gather on the corner of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. We each put a sign or large sticker saying, "No Attack on Iran!" on our clothing, even if we were already wearing T-shirts calling for impeachment or an end to the war in Iraq. Excitement mounted as more and more people arrived and passersby looked, stopped, asked questions and, in some cases, joined in to go inside to freeze. At 5:25, we entered Grand Central Station. Over 175 of us walked around the main concourse. Then at exactly 5:40, as marked by the clocks in the center of the station, we froze, like statues, wherever we were. We stayed that way, completely frozen, until 5:45. People in the station stopped and stared and took pictures. Some tried to talk to us. At exactly 5:45 we broke into a loud, echoing, and long chant of "No Attack on Iran!" A significant number of the commuters clapped and joined in the chant. We left with a surge of enthusiasm that many agreed hadn't been felt at a demonstration for a long time.
This successful action, initiated by World Can't Wait, became a joint effort of many organizations with Activist Response Team (ART), United for Peace and Justice, Code Pink, Brooklyn For Peace, and members of Peace Action joined, playing important roles in mobilizing for this. Granny Peace Brigade, StopWarOnIran.org and Theater Against War were there. In fact, we are still learning of groups that spread the word to their email lists and came.
Laura Flanders sent her GRIT TV crew who interviewed several people, and will be airing the footage on her show on www.airamerica.com this weekend.
Watch a video of the Freeze action
Slide show
For most who came, this was their first taste of such creative "theatrical" political action, but won't be their last. Many expressed hope that this action would spark many more types of creative and determined actions against a possible attack on Iran. In that spirit, plans were announced at the end of the action to do this creative and thrilling action again:
Another "FREEZE" Action: No Attack on Iran
Monday, July 21st at Penn Station (and more)
Meet up at 5:00 PM at 32nd and 7th Avenue, "Freeze" at 5:30 pm.
Those who want to participate should email wcwfreeze@gmail.com to sign up.
Volunteers are needed to help make this happen, as well for organizing "premier" showings throughout the area of the new film "Iran is not the problem", mobilizing for "No Attack on Iran" contingents at demonstrations on August 2nd, and developing a rapid response textmail network to swifly respond to any major moves towards an attack on Iran. Interested volunteers should email nyc@worldcantwait.org, and please include your telephone or cell number with your message so we can quickly pull organizing teams together.
download flyer for July 21 action