The Truthout Media Report Page has several reports about Camp Casey.
When you scroll down, you come to the report “Camp Casey Reaches Out to GIs at Fort Hood
A Report by Geoffrey Millard and Scott Galindez”. I was at that action when I was at Camp Casey.
At Least 100 Die as Militia Force Iraqi Troops out of Town
At least 100 people were killed across Iraq yesterday in a day of intense gun battles and suicide bombings, contradicting US military claims that the security situation in the war-torn nation was improving.
The latest violence was a reminder of how easily Iraq could slip back into the type of endemic sectarian violence that characterised much of the first half of this year after the destruction in February of a Shia shrine in the town of Samarra.
More than 10,000 Iraqis – the vast majority in Baghdad – have been killed in the past four months alone, a figure that would send shockwaves through the international community were it in any other part of the world.
The US military admitted that there had been a spike in violence in Baghdad, but insisted that things were improving since US-led forces launched Operation Forward Together last month in an attempt to pacify the capital.
The Republicans are trying to take credit for Cindy Sheehan cancelling her trip to Salt Lake today.
All I can say to that as I roll on the floor laughing is:
HAHAHAHAHA!!!!.
As someone who has met Cindy recently, talked to and listened to and hugged her, and also as someone who has worked with some of the organizers for Camp Casey and Camp Democracy, I can verify that Cindy is quite ill and has doctor’s orders to stay put until she is well enough to travel.
(shaking my head in amazement)
Anyway,
Today is the “big” day. Bring your energy and enthusiasm, your humor and your voice, your children and your friends, and your desire to demand that our administration be accountable to the people.
11am, City County Building at Washington Square, 400 South State Street, Salt Lake City
I’ll be there in my cheerleading role today. I’ll also be distributing flyers for the Upcoming Imagine Peace Festival on September 23rd, as well as flyers for the Desert Greens Green Party with an Impeach Bush and Vote for Peace Theme on them.
Much thanks to Green Jenni for her role in organzing today’s rally.
In today’s newspapers:
Rallies, protests today in Salt Lake: Events center around Bush visit, some welcoming, others critical
City’s a stage as protesters ready for street theater: But all in the polite, Utah-style rhetoric
Sheehan not coming to SLC
We held a press conference on August 29, 2006, to announce Camp Democracy. It aired on C-Span. The Associated Press wrote an article. PoliticsTV.com filmed the event, and has posted the one-hour video. The advisory that we sent to the media prior to the event has more information.
At long last, Americans are preparing to say “Enough is enough” on September 5th when Camp Democracy begins on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Can we count on you to help make it happen? Sign Up to stay informed and volunteer to participate.
Here’s the schedule of what’s happening each day. Tents will provide activist activities, trainings, workshops, and entertainment on these themes: End War: Peace, nonviolence, accountability, and impeachment | Human Rights: Civil Rights, Immigrants Rights, Workers Rights, Women’s Rights, Voting Rights, Katrina | End Corporate Welfare, Meet Human Needs: Healthcare/ Energy/ Education/ Environment | Communications and Creativity: Hands-on Media and Arts Training.
You can visit Spaceshare to offer a ride or to ask for one, or if you have or need a room in the Washington, D.C., area. Camp Democracy is a grassroots effort and will only succeed with the help of many, many people. Can you help us? Click here to make a donation to Camp Democracy.
Here are more things you can do to get involved locally:
http://campdemocracy.org/spread/local
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Activism, anti-war, camp democracy, Green Party, peace
We received a phone call yesterday from Camp Casey informing us that Cindy had been re-hospitalized and questioning Cindy’s coming to Salt Lake for tomorrow’s protest. That was confirmed today by another phone call early in the day and then via a press release to the media by Cindy Sheehan’s spokespeople:
An ill Sheehan cancels S.L. protest speech
Sheehan cancels appearance at Salt Lake anti-war protest
From today’s Salt Lake Tribune. See the note below the list. As far as I know, the sidewalk is still public property……
Today’s events:American Legion convention, Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City
(George Bush is scheduled to speak on Thursday)
10 a.m.: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld speaks. (KUTV Channel 2, KSTU Channel 13, KSL Channel 5 and KCPW Radio will carry the speech live. KSL Radio hadn’t confirmed Monday if it would be able to carry the speech.)
10:50 a.m.: Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., Sen. Bob Bennett, Reps. Jim Matheson and Rob Bishop, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon offer remarks.
12:10 p.m.: Legion national commander makes presentation to Sen. Orrin Hatch.
1:15 p.m.: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice speaks to convention. (KUTV Channel 2, KSTU Channel 13, KSL Channel 5 and KCPW Radio will carry the speech live. KSL Radio hadn’t confirmed Monday if it would be able to carry the speech.)
Note: Convention events are open only to Legion members and credentialed media.
Today’s news has pieces where Utah GOP asks backers to call Rocky and object to his protest.
The Utah Republican Party is asking its supporters to call Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and tell him they disapprove of his scheduled participation Wednesday in an anti-war rally preceding a visit by President Bush. The party put out radio ads Monday asking people to call Anderson and “tell him to stop embarrassing Utah.” The mayor’s office had received 183 calls by late afternoon. The office hired three temporary workers to staff the phone lines, and they took calls from throughout Utah and even some from out of state, one of the temporary workers said.
What a waste of time and money.
Hartley said he wasn’t concerned about the extra cost to the mayor’s office for hiring people to answer the phones.
“If that encumbers the city that he represents at all, I’d say that’s Rocky’s fault,” Hartley said. “I have no sympathy for him if his office has to incur some financial responsibility to take all the phone calls from people who don’t like what he’s doing.”
Hartley’s radio ad tells listeners that Sheehan’s beliefs are anti-American and that her “cut-and-run strategy” is an effort “to convince you that America should retreat.” Ads started running Monday with heavy play in Utah’s rural counties, where residents are “hopping mad this man is representing our state to the world,” Hartley said.
Senator Bob Bennett says that he believes that everyone, including Anderson, should have respect for the office of the U.S. president. “Rocky has made a serious mistake” by calling for protests against Bush during the president’s visit, Bennett said.
Well, first, Rocky didn’t call for the protest, average citizens did. And believe me there are folks involved in organizing this rally who have never been involved before, a reflection of the dissatisfaction of citizens in Bush’s Administration. And while I might agree with Mr. Bennett that “everyone” should respect the office of U.S. president, “everyone” should also be taught to respect all exsitence, not “offices”. I do not agree that “everyone” needs to respect Mr. Bush the war criminal and fabricator of facts to the American Public. The man needs to be impeached and indicted and this will be a display of that demand and an expression of Utahns dissatisfaction of such. These actions are the “respectful” and rightful way to demonstrate this.
It astounds me that Republicans are making such a big fuss over this – and going to lengths to spend their party money on radio ads and paid telephone petitioners – telling their followers how to protest. I tend to think that members of this party are afraid – of the medai attention that rarely happens with Utah’s small activist community – but that is likely to put Salt Lake on the map again this year.
Today is the one year anniversary of the disasterous Hurricane Katrina’s devastation to the gulf coast region of the U.S.
One year later, while the U.S. continues to spend money towards “defense” projects that result in more killing, war and destruction, U.S. citizens are still suffering as a result of the hurricane’s effects from summer 2005. People are still homeless and haven’t received their insurance claims for their destroyed homes while officials in New Orleans, for example, have wiped out homes without homeowners’ permission and have replaced the homes with retail establishments such as WalMart.
We are failing as a country to rebuild communities that need us the most.
I have learned that there will be an evening program on Wednesday August 30 at Pioneer Park, as an add-on to the days’ rally activites, with entertainment and more speakers.
It will be from 6-8pm.
When Rocky Anderson and Cindy Sheehan speak out against President Bush and his policies Wednesday, they probably will be cheered by thousands who agree.
But more Utahns will see them as aiding the enemies of the United States, according to a poll conducted for The Salt Lake Tribune.
This is the opening paragraph of the headline article in today’s online version of the Salt Lake Tribune.
Forty-five percent of poll respondents said war protesters such as Sheehan and Anderson aid U.S. enemies. Just 27 percent embrace the alternative view – that they “play an important role in the national debate over U.S. policy in Iraq.”
The article also delves into the dissatisfaction by the state’s republicans over the involvement of Salt Lake City Mayor Anderson’s role in the protest at the City County Building.
….anger over Anderson’s participation in the protest could rally Republicans.
U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, who is holding a fundraiser Thursday afternoon with Bush, said Anderson shouldn’t have invited Sheehan. “He has a right to protest if he wants to, but he also has an obligation to welcome people to our beautiful city. And when the president of the United States comes in, even though Rocky doesn’t like him, he is still the president of the United States. It is an office we ought to respect.”
The Governor of Utah, however, sees it differently:
But Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has no heartburn over Anderson’s activism.
“It’s an important and symbolic message that here in our state we can organize and speak out on both sides of the issue – and do so respectfully and safely,” Huntsman said.
As for Sheehan’s involvement: “She lost her son in combat in Iraq – which is commendable. If we’re going to fight for [freedom of speech] internationally, it would behoove us to do it here.”
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 