Compare the Protests

John McCain accepted the Republican nomination last night. There were two sets of protest. Compare and contrast, and comment on the effectiveness of both in achieving their goals, (oh, yes, what were their goals?) and in building sympathy for their cause . . . or the candidate.

Ladies in White: What to do Next?

Listen to a recent NPR piece about the Ladies in White, who for five years have been protesting their dissident husbands' detention. The Ladies gather to pray, then silently march carrying gladiola's, and have done so weekly for five years. In 2005, they were awarded the Sakhavrov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

The question is now whether or not the Ladies should escalate and how. What is the most effective way to move a dictator in this cultural context?

Photo by Mihai Romanciuc

March on Washington

Put on your Marching Shoes!!

This Saturday beginning at noon, organizations including the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and Racism), Veterans for Peace (VFP), and Grassroots America will be sponsoring a March on Washington to protest the Iraq War. Earlier this week, General Petraeus testified to Congress that 30,000 troops would be coming home by next summer; however, he did not say when all of the troops would return. In response, Rep. Tom Lantos,(D.-Calif.) said, "This clearly is nowhere near enough...It is time to go - and to go now."
Thousands of Americans from across the country agree with Lantos and will be expressing their frustrations this weekend in DC.

"We are obligated to take the next step as a peace movement. We cannot become the path of least resistance. This next step is action. It is time we throw our bodies on the gears of the war machine and shut it down, " says Tina Richards (Founder of Grassroots America).

After marching from the White House to the Capitol Building, protesters can either attend a legal rally near the Capitol or participate in a "Die-In" at the Peace Monument symbolizing the loss of American and Iraqi lives as a result of this war. Since the "Die-In" is an act of civil disobedience, those who partake might be arrested. This massive protest is part of a week of action including Truth in Recruiting and March Inside Congress.