'NY-Lon' - Republican Nation Convention coverage
ben | 26.08.2004 09:42 | Analysis | Anti-militarism | Social Struggles | World
The Republican National Committee has, for the first time in its 150 year history, selected New York for their Convention from August 29-September 2, 2004. In a shallow attempt at exploiting the lives lost at the World Trade Center, the RNC has pushed the Convention date to September. Having witnessed two unjust wars in the name of freedom and democracy (plus at least one American life lost each day overseas, a depressed economy, the collapse of the dollar, $87 billion to boost war profiteering, the closing of our firehouses, a health-care crisis, millions of children being left behind, and now this), Americans are gathering to say, ENOUGH!
What was originally supposed to be the Republican strategists crowning achievement in their tireless campaign to exploit the tragedy of September 11, the week during the convention has quickly turned into a virtual public relations nightmare for Bush and his crew. Although good organizers never overestimate numbers, it is safe to say that over the course of the week, hundreds of thousands of people will be taking to the street, representing a wide range of issues, constituencies and communities.
On August 29, the international day of action against the Bush agenda initiated by United for Peace & Justice at the 2004 World Social Forum in Mumbai will kick off the proceedings and will likely draw the largest of the crowds, possibly one of the largest this generation has ever seen.
This will be followed on Monday August 30, by a day of action focusing on social and economic issues domestically, as the Still We Rise Coalition, in an interesting alliance, has teamed up with the Hip Hop Summit Action Network to organize the 'March on New York: Still We Rise.' The Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU), a group that played a large role in the Republican National Convention protests in Philadelphia 4 years ago, is organizing a similar action later in the day called 'The March for Our Lives'-calling attention to the virtual invisibility of poor people living in the United States.
The third day of major protest, Tuesday August 31, is the day earmarked for massive non-violent direct action and civil disobedience as an ad-hoc group of organizers from around the country have called for a "creative day of resistance outside of the protest pens." The rest of the week will be rounded out by a series of marches, rallies, counter-conventions and concerts, including possibly a Labor Day march on Wednesday, September 1 which is being moved up to coincide with the RNC.
links :
http://nyc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/103115/index.php
http://nycgrassrootsmedia.org/ - imc center for the event
http://rncwatch.typepad.com/ - rnc watch for breaking news
http://www.rncnotwelcome.org/ - name says it all
http://www.counterconvention.org/ - counter convention
On August 29, the international day of action against the Bush agenda initiated by United for Peace & Justice at the 2004 World Social Forum in Mumbai will kick off the proceedings and will likely draw the largest of the crowds, possibly one of the largest this generation has ever seen.
This will be followed on Monday August 30, by a day of action focusing on social and economic issues domestically, as the Still We Rise Coalition, in an interesting alliance, has teamed up with the Hip Hop Summit Action Network to organize the 'March on New York: Still We Rise.' The Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU), a group that played a large role in the Republican National Convention protests in Philadelphia 4 years ago, is organizing a similar action later in the day called 'The March for Our Lives'-calling attention to the virtual invisibility of poor people living in the United States.
The third day of major protest, Tuesday August 31, is the day earmarked for massive non-violent direct action and civil disobedience as an ad-hoc group of organizers from around the country have called for a "creative day of resistance outside of the protest pens." The rest of the week will be rounded out by a series of marches, rallies, counter-conventions and concerts, including possibly a Labor Day march on Wednesday, September 1 which is being moved up to coincide with the RNC.
links :
http://nyc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/103115/index.php http://nycgrassrootsmedia.org/ - imc center for the event http://rncwatch.typepad.com/ - rnc watch for breaking news http://www.rncnotwelcome.org/ - name says it all http://www.counterconvention.org/ - counter convention
ben