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We are the 99 percent

Anti-War Actions in Portland & Chicago

Posted 11 years ago on Aug. 15, 2012, 6:53 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Tags: anti-war, pfc. manning, portland, chicago, direct action

Flier for Army Recruiting Center Shutdown

PORTLAND, OR: FREE PFC. MANNING – END THE DRONE WARS

via Occupy Portland

Cascadians Against War have been organizing a big action that will occur this Thursday, August 16th from 10am to 4pm at an Army Recruiting Station near you. Then at 4:30pm everyone will meet up at the Lloyd Center Recruiting Station for the announcement of a big surprise. Here’s the details:

In a coordinated West Coast action demanding the immediate release of PFC Manning, we will once again be shutting down 5 military recruiting locations throughout Portland, Beaverton and Gresham. We’re also demanding an end to the drone wars. Our drones have killed 4,371 people in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia alone. This DOES NOT include Iraq & Afghanistan…

We’re asking supporters to go to any of the 5 Army recruitment locations to help us shut them down again! Show your support for PFC Manning and demand an END TO THE DRONE WARS! Your location choices are as follows:
Gresham at 830 NW Eastman Parkway
Beaverton at 2660 SW Cedar Hills Blvd
Eastport Plaza at 4200 SE 82nd Ave Ste 1100
Lloyd Center at 1317 NE Broadway
Battalion Headquarters at 6130 NE 78th Ct

We’ll be shutting down at least these locations from 10am-4pm. Then we’ll meet up at the Lloyd Center recruiting location at 4:30pm and go on a short march to watch and support the surprise!

For more information: Event Facebook Page
PDX Bike Swarm: Swarm the Recruiting Centers (Free Manning, End the Drone Wars)
Manning Support Network
Courage to Resist


CHICAGO: OCCUPIED AIR AND WATER SHOW TRAINING

via Occupy Chicago Direct Action Committee -- note: the training is tomorrow (Thursday), the action is Saturday

Every summer Chicago's lakefront is assaulted with a public relations spectacle for the military industrial complex known as the Air and Water Show. While the "Show" brings the sounds of war to Chicago each August, it leaves out one crucial detail: death. That changes this year with an act of symbolism from Occupy Chicago.

The Occupy Chicago Direct Action Committee has put together a piece of political theater to highlight the real purpose of these war machines. There is just one missing ingredient though, YOU.

Meet up at The Horse (Congress and Michigan) on Thursday August 16th to debrief and get ready for Saturdays action. We are asking that all those interested in participating on Saturday join us for this training.

Info on the Air and Water Show protest:

Meetup at the foot of the North Ave. bridge on the WEST side - as early as possible Saturday morning - so we can stake out ground as close as possible to the bridge. (There will also be a contingent as usual staking out the EAST (beach) side. ;-)

Participating groups include:

Bill of Rights Defense Committee (BORDC)
Chicago FOR (Fellowship of Reconciliation)
Chicago World Can't Wait
No Drones Illinois
Occupy Chicago
Pakistan Federation of America Chicago (USA)
Protest Chaplains of Chicago Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ

43 Comments

43 Comments


Read the Rules
[-] 3 points by beautifulworld (23769) 11 years ago

Good luck.

[-] 2 points by TrevorMnemonic (5827) 11 years ago

AWESOME POST

I'm surprised VQ, RPC, and Factsrfun aren't in here accusing Occupy Wall Street of being republicans since this post opposes the wars. They do it to me all the time. It's literally half the interaction I get on this forum. LOL

There is NO excuse to still be in Afghanistan. "Nation building" was Bush and Cheney's idea.

There is NO excuse to have bombed 5 countries in the past 12 months.

There is NO excuse for wars of aggression.

There is NO excuse for assassinating American citizens without even attempting due process or ever providing evidence of the alleged crime.

There is NO excuse for not giving a pardon to Bradley Manning who exposed murder and fraud in the Iraq war.

THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR WARS BASED ON LIES

[-] 1 points by hchc (3297) from Tampa, FL 11 years ago

oooh rah to that one

[-] 0 points by SenseDuJour (29) 11 years ago

Well said TM! Ditto!!!

[-] -3 points by Mooks (1985) 11 years ago

You filthy RepubliCON. Obama has a Nobel Peace Prize!!!!!!

There, I took care of it for them haha.

[-] 0 points by Vanderwaalz (-8) 11 years ago

Even as someone who voted for Obama I was embarrassed for him when he won that prize because it wasn't EARNED, and anyone with an ounce of integrity knows that. How is it that the VAST majority of people who earn a Nobel Peace Prize toil for DECADES to get one, and somehow the President won it because he became... President? What did he do exactly to bring more peace and calm to the world?

If he hadn't won it and someone asked you today if he deserved it given the last 4 years, would you say yes? Has he been a peace-maker? The whole thing is fucking absurd.

[-] 1 points by Mooks (1985) 11 years ago

Haha obviously I was being sarcastic. He did nothing to deserve that award.

[-] 1 points by Manna (85) 11 years ago

Nice to have a place for posting comments. But we are street dogs barking to ourselves only. The masters are forever busy with expensive lunch; they have no time or patience to hear out us--the street dogs. So, I wonder how much more we should bark. Life is limited by time and our lives are running out. A starving dog cannot bark much; I am already out of my breath. So.........................

[-] 1 points by jbgramps (159) 11 years ago

Well said. OWS hasn’t changed the conversation. OWS is not the 99%, not even close. Nor does the 99% feel OWS represents their interests. The masses can’t relate to a bunch of disheveled young folks carry signs and chanting; and they certainly can’t relate to marxist anarchists breaking store windows. OWS seems to be fighting every social ill in the world. The real 99% are confused and don’t understand what OWS is trying to do. For the most part the public has turned OWS off, lost interest.

You want to accomplish something? Then focus on a few specific issues the working folks can relate to. Put on a suit, put a nice looking talking head on the dreaded news talk shows. The masses will not follow you if you don’t have a message they can understand and support. You cannot be all things to all people. It won’t work.

[-] 1 points by jrhirsch (4714) from Sun City, CA 11 years ago

OWS hasn't changed the conversation? Where does the term "99%" come from? As for Occupy being the leader of this revolution against the crimes and excess of the 1%, we have sounded the alarm, but the majority of the 99% are afraid to take a stand for justice and choose to remain on the fence, exactly where the 1% want them.

Occupy exists because the 99% have for decades blindly followed the advice of those talking heads in nice suits. Buying their products, their values, and their lies. We can't ever be the same kind of people that led us into this dilemma. Anyone who does not change the way they think about our government, our economy, and our society will be responsible for it's destruction.

[-] 1 points by VQkag2 (16478) 11 years ago

End the Drone wars! End the civil rights violations, Free PFC Manning.!

[-] 1 points by Nevada1 (5843) 11 years ago

Excellent

[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 11 years ago

End the Drone War. End the wars.

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[-] 0 points by sufinaga (513) 11 years ago

i object to the protest chaplains of the church of christ. putting an image of a MAN NAILED TO A CROSS into our minds is intended to frighten us into submission to these recruiters, child abusing money shark predators. the do not think they are our equals. they believe they are superior and we are sinners. they should not be included in a non-hierarchical movement. they are CORPORATE STOOGES obeying orders supporting the police and the iniquitous prohibition of marijuana. fuck jesus!

[-] 0 points by Clancy (42) 11 years ago

Does know one care that Bradley Manning broke the law.

[-] 1 points by TrevorMnemonic (5827) 11 years ago

Sometimes the laws are the problem.

Exposing murder and fraud should never be illegal.

Sometimes laws need to be broken.

It used to be illegal for black people to vote and drink from white water fountains.

Sometimes the laws are the fucking problem.

[-] 1 points by sufinaga (513) 11 years ago

a BOY SOLDIER sent into an illegal war mudering civilians under BS pressure is a hero for breaking the law! all marijuana lovers are heroes for breaking the law. this is a psychopathic tyranny. not breaking the law is bowing down to these bastards. who will make the police obey the law and give us our constitutional rights! you are an enemy of our movement and an enemy of our freedom. you are a corporate stooge and most probably a predatory crucifixion merchant!

[-] 1 points by Mooks (1985) 11 years ago

I am conflicted here. Yes, he exposed some very nasty things but there are things that need to be remained classified for our own safety, and more importantly the safety of our service men and women. I don't think a PFC should be deciding what should remained classified and what shouldn't so he should probably be prosecuted. Every movement needs martyrs.

[-] 2 points by jrhirsch (4714) from Sun City, CA 11 years ago

What about the nasty things he exposed? Shouldn't the perpetrators also be prosecuted?

[-] 2 points by frybread (2) from Chicago, IL 11 years ago

Great point.

[-] 1 points by Mooks (1985) 11 years ago

They should, but unfortunately PFC Manning should also.

[-] 2 points by jrhirsch (4714) from Sun City, CA 11 years ago

Which brings the dilemma. Should secrets be leaked if the secrets reveal criminal conduct? Would the greater crime be to keep the criminal conduct a secret?

[-] 0 points by Mooks (1985) 11 years ago

It is certainly a dilemma. Ideally, the higher ups would take care of the criminal conduct while also keeping things that need to remain secret, secret. I realize that this is not the case though so unfortunately I don't have the answer.

Obviously I have not taken the time to read the hundreds of thousands of Wikileaks documents attributed to Manning, but I did browse them and a lot of them do not describe anything criminal at all. I am not saying he didn't do the world a service but releasing those documents, but when we start allowing lowly PFC's to determine what remains classified and what doesn't we have made the world an even more dangerous place. Especially for our service men and women.

It is certainly a dilemma though. It would make for a great philosophy 101 discussion.

[-] 0 points by jrhirsch (4714) from Sun City, CA 11 years ago

Part of what was released was a video of U.S. serviceman in a helicopter gun ship killing half a dozen men, then killing more that were trying to rescue the wounded.

Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rXPrfnU3G0

[-] 0 points by TrevorMnemonic (5827) 11 years ago

If you were murdered would you want the person trying to bring you justice to go to prison for life?

Just because it's a law doesn't make it right.

There are thousands of bullshit laws in this country. This is one of them.

In this case he violated nothing. He exposed murder and fraud. Exposing truth should never be illegal. The fact that it's illegal only shows how corrupt and bullshit American society as become.

You should be ashamed of yourself for the comments you have made

[-] 1 points by Clancy (42) 11 years ago

Thank you, great comment

[-] 2 points by TrevorMnemonic (5827) 11 years ago

terrible comment

you both basically said murdering civilians should be kept secret

FREE BRADLEY MANNING

Exposing war crimes deserves a medal of HONOR not a prison cell.

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[-] 0 points by TrevorMnemonic (5827) 11 years ago

if it's confidential.... or secret... most of the time IT'S ILLEGAL or VIOLATES INTERNATIONAL TREATIES

What makes us less safe is the government bombing the fuck out of cities. What makes us less safe is covering up MURDER of civilians.

I don't think people like you should be supporting government's secrecy of MURDER

A military title is nothing when it comes to exposing the truth. Anyone can do it. They just have to have a soul.

[-] 0 points by Mooks (1985) 11 years ago

If you ready through the documents you will see that he also exposed a lot of things that didn't relate to crimes, but to things concerning operations and troop locations. Who knows, he may have caused people to be killed. He exposed a crime and that is a very noble thing, but he also broke a law that is meant to protect our service men and women. Like I said, every movement needs a martyr.

[-] 2 points by TrevorMnemonic (5827) 11 years ago

every movement also has those thinking heroes exposing murder belong in prison.

No one died in a result to Manning. Many died in a result to a war started on lies.

[-] 1 points by Mooks (1985) 11 years ago

How can you be sure that his actions did not bring harm to our troops?

I am not certain that it did, I don't see how you can be certain that it didn't.

[-] 2 points by LetsGetReal (1420) from Grants, NM 11 years ago

You can follow the links in this Glenn Greenwald column. Greenwald says:

"From the start, US claims about the damage done have been wildly exaggerated, even outright false. After the release of the Afghanistan war logs, officials accused WikiLeaks of having "blood on their hands", only to admit weeks later that they were unaware of a single case of anyone being harmed. That remains true today.

Even Robert Gates, the Pentagon chief, mocked alarmism over the diplomatic cables leak as "significantly overwrought", dismissing its impact as "fairly modest". Manning's lawyer is seeking internal government documents that, he insists, concluded there was no meaningful harm to US diplomatic relations from the release of any documents. None of the leaked documents were classified at the highest level of secrecy – top secret – but rather bore only low-level classification."

More at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/dec/14/bradley-manning-deserves-a-medal

[-] 2 points by TrevorMnemonic (5827) 11 years ago

it didn't. He'd have more charges filed against him had it happened.

Either way... you're on the wrong side of this issue.

Any troops dying in these wars are directly the fault of congress and the president who refuse to end them... as well as the people who vote for them.

These wars are a fraud

[-] 0 points by Mooks (1985) 11 years ago

There are no sides, he did the right thing but he also broke a law doing it. It is a shitty situation with no good outcome. It is like someone who kills a child molester. They obviously did the world a favor but they are still going to jail for it.

[-] 1 points by TrevorMnemonic (5827) 11 years ago

you can't break broken laws.

The laws are part of the problem and they're used to keep people scared of exposing the truth.

Fuck the law sometimes

Your child molester comparison is an ignorant reach. Bradley Manning didn't kill people. He exposed their crimes. He killed no one.

YOU'RE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THIS ISSUE

And that's all I have to say about that.

[-] 1 points by Mooks (1985) 11 years ago

Surely killing a child molester is as noble an action as releasing classified information, some of which exposed war crimes. Both are good deeds for society as whole but both will also get you an IV in your arm.

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[-] 0 points by Mooks (1985) 11 years ago

Awesome post!

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[-] 2 points by Mooks (1985) 11 years ago

Yet another awesome, well thought out, well articulated post.

[-] 1 points by TrevorMnemonic (5827) 11 years ago

removed

must not have been awesome

[-] 1 points by Mooks (1985) 11 years ago

Haha no it wasn't I was just being sarcastic. It was some Obama 2012 stuff.

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[-] 0 points by jrhirsch (4714) from Sun City, CA 11 years ago

Then let's also enforce the laws that were broken by the banks, insurance companies,and regulatory agencies during the financial crisis.

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[-] -1 points by Vanderwaalz (-8) 11 years ago

You ought to be more worried about drones over your own heads here in the US because the FAA is about to give various corporations and inter-governmental agencies carte blanche to do that, and unlike Global Hawks, you'll never see or hear them.

PS - many of those killed were combatants, not 4000K+ non-combatants, which is how you frame this.

[-] -1 points by timirninja (263) 11 years ago

if you in Portland or Chicago unemployed, please, support that brave fella Bradley Manning!