The Change We’re Fighting For:

STOP the Endless Wars for Empire!

Tuesday November 11 (Veterans’ Day), 7:00 pm

Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square South, NYC

Speakers:

Scott Ritter, former US weapons inspector, author of Waging Peace: The Art of War for the Antiwar Movement and Target Iran: The Truth About the White House’s Plans for Regime Change

Larry Everest, writer for Revolution newspaper, author of Oil, Power and Empire: Iraq and the U.S. Agenda

Jeremy Scahill, correspondent for Democracy Now, author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army

Elaine Brower, military family member and leader of The World Can’t Wait

While people in the US were voting for President Obama, a US air strike on an Afghan wedding party killed 34 civilians. On November 5, another killed 7 civilians. US drones daily cross the border into Pakistan, where scores of civilians have been bombed.

Obama, the “anti-war” candidate wants to leave 50 to 80,000 troops in Iraq, and move more combat brigades to Afghanistan. He promises to increase the US military by 92,000, ready to project American empire further on the lives of kids in high school now. Obama proposed sending drones and special forces into Pakistan - a sovereign country - and the Bush regime secretly began attacks on Pakistan in July, which have killed scores of civilians, as part of the Bush doctrine of pre-emptive war.

Participate in an intensive look at what to expect under Obama, what must be yet stopped under Bush, and begin making plans immediately to build a movement to stop the crimes done by our government in our name.

Tickets: $10 / $5 students/low-income / $60 sustainer (includes 5:30 reception & front-row seating, information below). To ensure a seat, purchase in advance.

Purchase tickets on line.

Those who prefer to pay via check or cash can call 866-973-4463 to arrange in-person purchase/pick-up of tickets.

Time is short. Download the flyer and spread the word.

Please Join us at a special "Meet the Speakers" Reception:

Apple Restaurant
17 Waverly Place, across Washington Sqare Park from Judson Church

$60 per person includes front row seat at Judson, reception at Apple, and gift bag

Purchase tickets online

Those wanting to purchase tickets in advance but who would prefer to pay by check or cash, call 866-973-4463.

IF you cannot attend, please make a donation to World Can't Wait to cover the expenses of immediate organizing in the wake of the election.

Are we a people at peace with being at war? Speak out when the candidates appear in NYC!

George Bush & Co. remain unrelenting and self-assured that they can drive the savageness of their program of expanding endless war, spying on people in the U.S. and torture abroad into the next administration. U.S. military moves and diplomatic maneuvering have not let up. A campaign of lies similar to those leading to the attack on Iraq are being put out to justify an attack on Iran. Bush, McCain and Obama have all refused to rule out the use of NUCLEAR weapons in an attack on Iran. All three call for an escalation - more troops and more money – for the war in Afghanistan. The Presidential debates have become an ugly contest over who can call for the more aggressive policy – now expanding the war with attacks into Pakistan is “on the table”. Who will speak up? Who will stop this?

It is up to us. People of conscience take responsibility for what their own governments do. People of conscience should not allow themselves to be demobilized by the political and moral terms of an election that calls for “national unity” while carrying out and expanding unjust wars for empire.

Will there be a pole of opposition that inspires with its moral clarity and fearless truth-telling that people can join with until this whole criminal program is brought to a halt? Join us.

Join Iraq Veterans Against the War, World Can’t Wait, Long Island Alliance & more:

Demonstrate at final debate:
Wednesday, October 15 Hempstead, Long Island

2:00 PM Rally at Hempstead LIRR, 4:30 proceed to Hofstra University, followed by actions there. (See http://nyc.worldcantwait.org or call 866-973-4463 for directions and details. )


Also demonstrate when Obama & McCain will speak at the Al Smith Dinner, a fundraiser for the Catholic Charities, at Waldorf Astoria. Thursday, Oct. 16, 5:00 - 7:00 PM, Park Ave & 49th St.

Directions/details for October 15th Protest at Hempstead/Hofstra Presidential Debate

2:00 PM: Rally in parking lot of Hempstead LIRR Station sponsored by Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) & Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Tomorrows. Take the train from Penn Station in NYC to Hempstead. The train ride is approximately 45-50 minutes from NYC. On the train platform, you will be greeted and directed to the rally point.

4:15 PM: Proceed in mass to protest along Hempstead Turnpike located by Hofstra University (bring your signs, whistles, flashlights for later).

5:15 – 6:30 PM: Join protests sponsored by Long Island Alliance inside campus of Hofstra University authorized "free speech" zone.

6:30 PM to 10:00 PM – There will be continued "Speak Outs" in "free speech" area by protesters

7:00 PM -- Action by Iraq Veterans Against the War & designated allies (further information on this below)

Organizers tell us that there will be a shuttle bus and/or escorts to assist people in getting back to the Hempstead LIRR station after the protests.

World Can't Wait, Code-PINK, Workplace Project, UFPJ, Peace Action NYS, and a number of other organizations support and are participating in these actions.


There has been some confusion about the details of the protest at Hempstead and Hofstra. To clarify matters and to answer questions, we are printing here sections of a letter from Long Island Iraq Veterans Against the War member Kris Goldsmith. Parts in quotation marks are taken exactly from Kris' letter. Other parts are summary for brevity. Hope this is helpful and many will come out!
-- NYC World Can't Wait.

"We the People, will have our voices be heard!"
"We the People, Do Not Want War!!"

Rally Starting at 2:00 PM:
Rally sponsored by Iraqi Veterans Against the War and the "We the People movement" (coalition formed in Long Island). The permitted area will be a parking lot close to the Hempstead Train/Bus Station off the Long Island Rail Road.

After rally "we will walk- un-permitted and on the sidewalk (completely legal here) to the debate. We remain committed to non-violence, and non-aggression during this walk. Notice I'm not calling it a 'march' because we aren't taking over the streets at this point."

"Walking approximately 1.2 miles east of the Hempstead train station along Hempstead Turnpike, we will arrive at the Hofstra University Campus. There we will converge with the main body of the Long Island Alliance. We expect at least 500 people to be waiting for us there.
At this location/time there will be a multitude of groups there... including those outside of the Long Island Alliance like the Gathering of Eagles [reactionary pro-war grouping], so be mentally prepared for idiots screaming- and remain non-violent! "

"At 6:30pm the Long Island Alliance led action is scheduled to come to a close, and this is the time when IVAW will announce it's intent to change the tone a bit- and prepare for Civil Disobedience and a possibly arrestable action." [see separate entry below for details on their possible civil disobedience action]

Iraqi Veterans Against the War - Plans/statement for action at Oct. 15 debate at Hofstra

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) will lead non-violent demonstrations at Hofstra University prior to the final presidential debate Oct. 15 to demand two IVAW members be allowed to ask each candidate one question.

Should IVAW's demands not be met in full by 7 p.m., members of the organization are willing to risk arrest by entering the debate to have their voices heard by the candidates.

IVAW intends to "force the issue" that service members and veterans are not being heard or cared for by our leaders. The next president should make caring for our wounded military a top domestic priority, in addition to ending the war in Iraq.

"Right now there are veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan going homeless, hungry, into debt and contemplating suicide," said Matthis Chiroux, an IVAW member from Brooklyn. "But the government says we don't have the money to care for those war heroes, so the V.A. continues its mission underfunded and understaffed. But now we've found almost a trillion to bail out banks? Where's the humanity in this?"

IVAW is currently working to contact debate moderator Bob Schieffer to make its demands known.

"I watched the first debate the other night, for which the topic was supposed to be 'foreign policy', yet it took 34 minutes before the words 'Iraq' or 'Veteran' left either candidates' mouths," said Kris Goldsmith, an IVAW member from Long Island. "I'm not convinced that either Obama or McCain care about what is most important to today's military and veterans. IVAW is committed to changing that."

Participants should begin assembling at the Hempstead Long Island Railroad station at 2:30 p.m. At five, we will "walk" to Hempstead University for further demonstrations.

IVAW was founded by Iraq war veterans in July 2004 to allow servicemen and women from all branches of the military a chance to come together and speak out against an unjust, unwinnable and illegal occupation. Today, IVAW has over 1,300 members in 49 states, Washington, D.C. and Canada, and on military bases in the U.S. and overseas, including Iraq.

What is the Sarah Palin Candidacy About?

What are the implications of the 2008 election on reproductive rights?

A discussion sponsored by World Can't Wait with writers who dig deeply into Christian fundamentalism, reproductive rights and sex education.

Presenters:

Esther Kaplan, author of With God on Their Side: George Bush and the Christian Right.

Sunsara Taylor, writer for Revolution, currently on national speaking tour on Away with All Gods; Unchaining the Mind & Radically Changing the World

Monday October 20
7:00 pm

THINK Coffee
250 Mercer Street

@ 3rd Street NYC

$5.00 donation

This is an extremely timely event. Volunteers are urgently needed to help organize and publicize this event: Call 866-973-4463 or email nyc@worldcantwait.org to volunteer.

Spread the word, download 4-to-a-page flyer

Are we a people at peace with being at war?

No government should be allowed to do what the Bush regime has done the past 7 years!
With no regard for human cost or conscience the Bush regime pushes expanding endless war, spies on people here, and tortures abroad. Only you – and not your government – can bring this all to a halt. The World Can’t Wait.
Yet George Bush remains unrelenting and self-assured that he can drive the savageness of his agenda into the next administration. U.S. military moves and diplomatic maneuvering have not let up. A campaign of lies similar to those leading to the attack on Iraq are being put out to justify an attack on Iran. Bush, McCain and Obama have all refused to rule out the use of NUCLEAR weapons in an attack on Iran. All three call for an escalation - more troops and more money – for the war in Afghanistan. Last Friday’s Presidential debate became a contest of who can call for the more aggressive policy – now expanding the war with attacks into Pakistan is “on the table”. Who will speak up? Who will stop this?
It is up to us. People of conscience take responsibility for what their own governments do. People of conscience should not allow themselves to be demobilized by the political and moral terms of an election that calls for “national unity” while carrying out and expanding unjust wars for empire.
Will there be a pole of opposition that inspires with its moral clarity and fearless truth-telling? An increasingly visible independent political force of resistance, protest, and acts of conscience that people can join with and persevere with until this whole criminal program is brought to a halt? Join us.