International Strike 9-11-07

A general strike is proposed for the United States on September11, 2007, the sixth anniversary of the 9/11/2001 attacks on New York City and Arlington, Virginia. The general strike movement has no clearly named leadership. It’s described as an Internet viral effort. Wikipedia defines viral efforts on the Internet as:


An object (or an idea) is viral when it has the ability to spread copies of itself or change other similar objects to become more like (it) when those objects are simply exposed to the viral object.
General strikes, more common in Europe, are events that shut down the normal operations of a city, state, or nation for a period of time. These strikes aim to force awareness and action on a single issue or broader set of concerns. The 9/11/07 General Strike has a central location -  http://www.strike911.org/ - on the Internet, which is linked to and reproduced on a variety of other internet sites. The site states the rationale for the effort:


The General Strike is a national call to action, from citizens to other citizens. It is not about a single issue. It is not an anti-war protest, a civil rights protest, an election fraud protest. It is not about torture, surveillance, corporate media, the 9/11 coverup, or the environment. This strike is about all these issues and more.
We all have different concerns, but we all have the same concern: we are being lied to and this government does not represent us. Join other Americans in demanding truth, justice, and accountability.

This is our country.
And our world.
We just have to stand up.

A National Call to Action: Tuesday, September 11th, 2007
No school. No work. Buy nothing. Hit the streets


Week of Actions

Calendar9/15 March and Die-In9/17 Counter-Recruitment Day9/17 People's March in Congress9/18 Congressional Challenge


September 15 - Join Thousands to Turn Up the Heat
Schedule of September Days of Action

Friday, September 14
Release Show/Party of "Line in the Sand" benefit CD for Iraq Veterans Against the War!
At Jammin Java, 227 Maple Ave E., Vienna, VA (right outside DC); 7:00 Doors open, 8:30 Show Time! $10 cover includes $2 coupon off CD purchase, $6 cover with military ID

Saturday, September 15
Mass March on Washington & Die-In Led by Iraq Veterans


People will begin assembling at the White House in the late morning. There will not be an opening rally. A march will form with the front contingent of Iraq war veterans, family members of soldiers and marines and other veterans. When the march arrives at Congress, the Iraq War Veterans and family members will be the leadership of a mass die-in symbolizing the deaths of an estimated 4,000 U.S. servicemembers. A powerful representation of the death of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis will be the other central component of this dramatic confrontation with Congress at the time that they will be debating spending another $100 billion to sustain the criminal occupation of Iraq.

The Die-In is a civil disobedience action that will involve at least 4,000 people who are able to risk arrest.

There will be a permitted rally taking place simultaneously with the Die-In. All those who cannot afford to risk arrest will be able to participate in the permitted rally that will take place on the West Lawn of the Capitol Building.
Sunday, September 16
National Training Session for the other Days of Action
This will be a national meeting that will take place in Washington DC for all those who can remain in DC following the September 15 Mass March and Die-In. This will be a practical preparation for the actions on Monday, September 17 through Friday, September 21. This will be for everyone who can participate in one or more of the follow-up Days of Action.

Monday, September 17
Peoples March Inside Congress
Assemble at 9:00 am in the cafeteria of the Rayburn House Office Building (House of Representatives). The lead organizing group for this action is CODEPINK.

Monday, September 17
National Truth in Recruiting Day
In Washington DC, people will dispatch in teams to recruitment centers to tell the truth and counter the lies of the recruiters. Teams will dispatch from 7 am to 1 pm at Union Station in Washington DC. For those who have had to return to their cities, actions will take place all day long at local recruitment centers. The lead organizing group for this action will be Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW). [Read a letter from Adam Kokesh of Iraq Veterans Against the War about the National Truth in Recruiting Day.]

Tuesday, September 18
Congressional Challenge Day
A broad spectrum of people from around the country will fill the halls and offices of Congress to tell members of Congress to stop funding the war right now. The lead organizing group for this action is Grassroots America. Tina Richards, mother of Iraq war veteran Cloy Richards and CEO of Grassroots America, writes that September 18 "is the day we throw the gauntlet down. We will challenge our government to fulfill the mandate of the people. We do not want a new direction into Iraq as Senate Leader Reid and Speaker Pelosi is fond of saying. We will tell them: 'End the War NOW!' So join me on September 18, 2007, as we challenge our leaders to do the will of the American people." [Read a letter from Tina Richards, CEO of Grassroots America, about the Congressional Challenge Day.]

Wednesday, September 19
Direct Action
More details coming soon.

Thursday, September 20
Veterans lobbying day
More details coming soon. The lead organizing groups for this action will be Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW).

Friday, September 21
National Moratorium Day
Actions will take place around the country. Information: IraqMoratorium.org.



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Many organizations and individuals are joining together to sponsor a large protest in Washington DC timed to coincide with the report by General Petraeus on the "Surge" in Iraq, including the ANSWER Coalition; Ramsey Clark; Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation; Mounzer Sleiman, Vice Chair, National Council of Arab Americans; Cindy Sheehan; Cynthia McKinney; Veterans for Peace (National); Garett Reppenhagen, Chair of Iraq Veterans Against the War; Tina Richards, CEO of Grassroots America; Rev. Lenox Yearwood, CEO of Hip Hop Caucus; Code Pink; Father Roy Bourgeois and Eric LeCompte, School of Americas Watch; George Washington University College Democrats; Campus Anti-War Network; Chelsea Uniting Against the War; Sarah "echo" Steiner, Co-Chair, Green Party of the United States; Kevin Zeese, Democracy Rising; Navy Petty Officer Jonathan Hutto, co-founder Appeal for Redress; Liam Madden, Pres., Boston Chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War and co-founder of Appeal for Redress; Malik Rahim, founder of Common Ground Collective, New Orleans; Howard Zinn, Author and Historian; Carlos & Melida Arredondo, Gold Star Families for Peace; Rev. Graylan Hagler, Ministers for Racial, Social and Economic Justice; Latino Movement USA; Hermandad Mexicana Nacional; Ron Kovic, Vietnam Veteran, author, Born on the 4th of July; Leonard Weinglass, Cuban 5 attorney; Michael Berg; National Lawyers Guild; Father Luis Barrios, Iglesia de San Romero de las Americas - UCC; World Can't Wait; Frank Velgara, ProLibertad Freedom Campaign; Empower DC; Pam Africa, International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal; the Latin America Solidarity Coalition; Greater Boston Stop the Wars Coalition; and many others.

We urge every organization to join in this effort. To register your support for the September 15 march and the actions scheduled in the days following September 15, click on this link.

[Read more]
www.sept15.org