Proposal for local anti-war protest
The Philly International Action Center is proposing an anti-war protest next week in Philadelphia against the latest U.S. war drive and military expansion in the Middle East and Africa under the guise of fighting ISIL and Ebola. We know that there are already U.S. troops on the ground in the region, that the U.S. and its allies, including Israel, Saudi-Arabia and Qatar financed the very forces that they now claim to oppose, and that any expansion of the U.S. role in the region is aimed at toppling yet another government - in this case Syria - not at stopping any alleged "terrorist threat" against the U.S.
U.S. opposition to ISIL seems more out of concern that the group now controls some significant oil fields in Syria as well as in Iraq that U.S. puppets formerly controlled. Creating a renewed "terrorism" threat at home also serves to divert peoples attention from the real threat of expanding militarization of domestic police forces which are the real terror threat to our communities, most especially to youth of color and immigrants.
It is important that any protest include opposition to the further expansion of U.S. and other imperialists' military forces in northern and western Africa in Libya and the regions hit by the Ebola epidemic. While Cuba and some other countries are sending doctors, the U.S. is using the crisis to put more troops into Africa.
To give time to build for this event we are proposing Thursday, Sept. 25 in the afternoon at City Hall. The United National Anti-war Coalition (UNAC) has already issued a statement around these developments so hopefully we can get support from groups in the UNAC-allied Philadelphia Against War coalition. The Sept. 25 date is flexible as is the time, but it is important for the anti-war forces to take a public stand on this latest of what are now clearly endless U.S. wars.
U.S. HANDS OFF IRAQ! NO TO NEW U.S. WAR ON IRAQ! U.S. HANDS OFF SYRIA! NO U.S. TROOPS IN AFRICA!
Please let us know if you or your group is interested in supporting this call or if you have another proposal.
Betsey Piette, Philly International Action Center
Berta Joubert-Ceci, Philadelphia Workers World Party/Mundo Obrero
Scott Williams, Fight Imperialism , Stand Together