Peace Action Joins Thousands to Mark 40 Years of Occupation & Push for Peace in Israel/Palestine

This past weekend, people around the world participated in a global day of action to demonstrate that "The World Says No to Israeli Occupation." Mass Peace Action activists joined the action in Washington to mark the 40th year of Israel's illegal military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. On Sunday, June 10, more than 5,000 people from all over the country gathered on the West Lawn of the Capitol for an inspiring rally, and then marched through Washington, DC, toward the White House.

View (and share!) photos and videos from the historic march and rally... and take action today to add your voice to the thousands of who are speaking out for a just and lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis by contacting Congress to urge support for policies that promote peace and human rights in the region.

Your calls and letters will amplify the voices of hundreds of people who are visiting Congressional offices on Capitol Hill today, June 11th. Here in Massachusetts, we also organized an in-district lobby visit with the office of Congressman Delahunt, who chairs the House Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights & Oversight. To strengthen our efforts, please join the nationwide call-in day today: CALL THE CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD at 1-888-597-0909 (toll-free) or 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your representative's and two senators' offices. Click here to find your members of Congress.

Tell them we want:

• an end to U.S. military, economic, diplomatic, and corporate support for Israel's illegal military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem and

• a change in U.S. policy to one that supports a just peace between Palestinians and Israelis based on equality, human rights and international law, and the full implementation of all relevant UN resolutions.

Support Liam Madden, Iraq Vet & War Resister

The U.S. Marine Corps is at it again, going after war resisters and courageous veterans who are speaking out about their first-hand experiences in Iraq and now, Sergeant Liam Madden, a Boston activist who will be a student at Northeastern University in the fall, is among their latest targets. He is now among the many Iraq war veterans experiencing the military's aggressive attempts to "silence the free speech and assault the First Amendment rights" of anti-war soldiers. Liam, a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War and a co-founder of Appeal for Redress,held a press conference yesterday at the State House, announcing that the Marine Corps is investigating him for "disloyal statement" against the war. In response to these courageous actions, he is facing threats of an "other than honorable discharge" and other disciplinary actions. If found guilty of the charges, his "honorable" discharge status will be changed to "other than honorable" which will result in the loss of all his military entitlements including health-care and Montgomery GI Bill funding.

Massachusetts Peace Action stands with the local peace community in saluting Liam's courageous anti-war leadership and lending our support to local war resisters. Yesterday's press conference drew several activists from the Peace Action network, as well as allied organizations, along with several student organizers and prominent media outlets. Click here for interactive coverage from Boston NOW, one of Boston's most widely-read daily newspapers, and click here to sign a petition to show your support for Liam! Use the email tool below to send this to a friend to spread the word and build much-needed public support.

Related links...

Fighting for Rights, Mourning a Fighter: Marine Battles Military Over his Participation in Anti-War Activities (Boston Globe, 6/2/07)

Iraq Veterans Against the War

Appeal for Redress

Petition to Support Sergeant Liam Madden

Peace Voters Rally at the Presidential Debates

One June 3rd and 5th, Mass Peace Action and friends from NH Peace Action, AFSC, Code Pink, Stop the Wars and more converged on the Saint Anselm's campus in Manchester, NH to take our mandate for peace to the candidates, their voters, and the media. Check out our FlickR pictures from our anti-war outreach at the debates.

This was just the beginning of our work to influence the national debate on Iraq policy via the 2008 election cycle. Bolstered by the power of the peace majority, we must make a rapid end to the disastrous occupation of Iraq the most pressing issue for all candidates - and current policymakers - to address. As the campaigns continue to heat up, Peace Action's nonpartisan Peace Voter campaign will also provide many opportunities to push all candidates and politicians to embrace foreign policy positions to promote peace and security through international cooperation, human rights, and the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons.

Throughout the summer, there will be many more opportunities to meet with or "bird-dog" the candidates in nearby NH. Click here for a calendar and let us know when you go, how it goes, and how we can help! Together, we can build the power of Peace Voters across the country to reject both parties' reluctance to end the war!

Congress Gives Bush a Blank Check for War

Congress approves another $100 billion for war, voting to continue and escalate the quagmire. Read more about it (and comment!) on Peace Action's peace blog.

The bad news: Congress caved in (again!) to the desires of the Bush Administration, issuing another blank check for his deadly, disastrous war. Read and watch an analysis of the vote from MSNBC's Keith Olbermann: "Our Government Has Failed Us"

(Click here to see how the House voted and here for the Senate.)

The good news: Thanks to the effective, ongoing constituent pressure from Mass Peace Action members and allied activists across the state, all 10 Massachusetts Representatives and both of our Senators voted NO on giving Bush a blank check! This is a significant step forward, given that all 10 of our Representatives cowed to party leadership and voted the wrong way on the last two war funding votes. Our sustained pressure is making an impact, finally forcing our elected officials to manifest their anti-war rhetoric in their votes on the House floor.

Call 1-800-614-2803 and ask to be connected to your members' offices and say THANK YOU for voting against a blank check for war. Tell them that you agree that more money for war means more U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians will die. Your continued calls and letters will let them know they can't back down! We expect and demand their leadership in maintaining strong and consistent opposition to the occupation and in urging their colleagues to be more courageous in voting to end the war and support peace and reconstruction in the region.

Where does your Representative stands on anti-war legislation?
If your Representative has not yet signed on to any of these important resolutions, call and urge them to become a co-sponsor today! Capitol Switchboard: 1-800-614-2803