San Francisco Port Workers Shutting Down Docks To Protest Iraq War!

[Itsthetruth]

Defending labor's right to protest the war
Jack Heyman
Jack Heyman is a longshoreman who was a union official(International Longshore and Warehouse Union) when he was arrested during the 2003 anti-war demonstration at the Port of Oakland.


San Francisco Chronicle
March 16, 2005

There's a rising tide of workers' anger against the war in Iraq and the cuts in government programs to pay for it -- in enforcement of worker- safety laws, health care, Social Security, education and jobs. The recent victory of the nurses' union over Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's attempt to deny adequate staffing ratios in hospitals shows that labor can turn the tide.

The local International Longshore and Warehouse Union will protest the war in Iraq and the deadly cuts it has forced by holding a stop-work meeting, shutting down all Bay Area ports on Saturday, the second anniversary of the Iraq war. It will then lead the labor contingent in the anti-war march in San Francisco under its banner, "An injury to one is an injury to all."

The ILWU has a proud history of defending workers' rights, civil rights and civil liberties. Repressive legislation like the Patriot Act and Transportation Security Act shackle everyone by gutting the Bill of Rights. A waterfront saying is "If you don't know your rights, you don't have any. And if you don't use 'em, you lose 'em." The ILWU has always led by example.


Despite adversity posed by employers and the government, the ILWU has persevered in the struggle for justice for all workers. On Saturday, longshore workers are encouraging others to follow their lead in protesting the war and occupation and in defense of civil rights and social gains.

Please read the entire statement at:

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/03/16...

 

[Avatar4321]

Go ahead.

 

[Itsthetruth]

Go ahead.

OK

 

[5stringJeff]

Despite adversity posed by employers and the government, the ILWU has persevered in the struggle for justice for all workers. On Saturday, longshore workers are encouraging others to follow their lead in protesting the war and occupation and in defense of civil rights and social gains.

Just more work to do on Monday... whatever.

 

[5stringJeff]

Yep, should be a real tide turner for sure! Hmmm, many previous anti - war movements during this campaign have produced what?

Traffic jams and increased litter, off the top of my head.

 

[Bullypulpit]

A nation-wide strike would be interesting indeed.

 

[Avatar4321]

A nation-wide strike would be interesting indeed.

Maybe but its never going to happen cause the nation supports the President. Hence why he was reelected.

 

[dilloduck]

A nation-wide strike would be interesting indeed.

Which nation you talking about this time, Bully ?

 

[Bullypulpit]

Maybe but its never going to happen cause the nation supports the President. Hence why he was reelected.

You haven't been reading the polls lately, have you? And he was elected by a 3% margin...hardly a mandate. Unless you count Jim/Jeff Guckert/Gannon...

 

[Itsthetruth]

Soldiers' families to hold anti-war rally at Ft. Bragg
By Charisse Jones, USA TODAY
March 17, 2005

Military families and veterans are helping organize a major anti-war rally outside Fort Bragg in North Carolina that could draw several thousand people Saturday, the second anniversary of the Iraq war.

Groups such as Iraq Veterans Against The War and Gold Star Families for Peace, whose members have lost relatives in Iraq, will play a prominent role.
"We figured if we formed and used our grief in a positive way that could be very powerful," says Cindy Sheehan, a member of Gold Star Families For Peace from Vacaville, Calif., near San Francisco.

Sheehan says U.S. soldiers in Iraq need to come home, but she knows her son will not be among them. Casey Sheehan, a 24-year-old Army specialist, was killed in April during an ambush in the Sadr City section of Baghdad.

Nancy Lessin of Military Families Speak Out says the march outside Fort Bragg this weekend could draw several thousand people to nearby Fayetteville, N.C. The Army base is home to the 82nd Airborne Division and has 46,000 active-duty soldiers. Fifty-three soldiers from the base have died in Iraq.

"We're showing folks all over the country and the world that even in the military community, there's huge opposition to the continuation of the Iraq war," Pearson says.


http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-03-17-bragg--rally_x.htm

 

[theim]

He got over 51%, thus, it was a mandate by every definition except the Liberal Dictionary; where every word has 15 meanings which change daily based on your veiws. Deal.

"Repressive legislation like the Patriot Act and Transportation Security Act shackle everyone by gutting the Bill of Rights."

See now this is just amusing. Tyranny used to be Hitler's gas chambers. Now its not letting terrorist Arabs get on planes. Frickn' fascists, man.

have often considered going to a protest and asking someone what the hell they wanted to accomplish. Yeah, we know you don't like the war. Do you think that if you chust chant a few more cuss words that the Imperialist Zionist Warmongering Nazi Neoconservative Fascist Minions of Dark Lord Bushitler will suddenly have a change of heart? Honestly some people just need to get real.

 

[theim]

Soldiers' families to hold anti-war rally at Ft. Bragg
By Charisse Jones, USA TODAY
March 17, 2005

Military families and veterans are helping organize a major anti-war rally outside Fort Bragg in North Carolina that could draw several thousand people Saturday, the second anniversary of the Iraq war.

Groups such as Iraq Veterans Against The War and Gold Star Families for Peace, whose members have lost relatives in Iraq, will play a prominent role.
"We figured if we formed and used our grief in a positive way that could be very powerful," says Cindy Sheehan, a member of Gold Star Families For Peace from Vacaville, Calif., near San Francisco.

Sheehan says U.S. soldiers in Iraq need to come home, but she knows her son will not be among them. Casey Sheehan, a 24-year-old Army specialist, was killed in April during an ambush in the Sadr City section of Baghdad.

Nancy Lessin of Military Families Speak Out says the march outside Fort Bragg this weekend could draw several thousand people to nearby Fayetteville, N.C. The Army base is home to the 82nd Airborne Division and has 46,000 active-duty soldiers. Fifty-three soldiers from the base have died in Iraq.

"We're showing folks all over the country and the world that even in the military community, there's huge opposition to the continuation of the Iraq war," Pearson says.


http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-03-17-bragg--rally_x.htm

Get out now! Because, yeah, that'll show those terrorists! Kill 'em with kindness! If we just leave they will like us! And they will see us as even stronger for having the courage to admit we can't stand losing, in two years, less than one day of one battle's of WWII worth of soldiers. Zarqawi will sit down at the table for peace talks!

Wohooo! Yeah! C'mon everybody!! Let's say it loud! No Liberty For Iraq! No Liberty for Iran! No Liberty For Arabs! No Liberty for Arabs! Ba'athism is staility! If you don't like being in prison for objecting to having you daughter raped in front of you just shut the hell up and die!! WOOO YEAH!!

All we are saaaaaaying COUGH COUGH dude pass some more o' that shit!

 

[Itsthetruth]

Now this is pretty impressive. Among the speakers who will address the Fort Bragg Anti-War Rally are:


Kelly Dougherty, Co-Founder of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Colorado

An eight-year veteran of the Colorado National Guard, she did served as an MP Sergeant in Nazariah. "We formed it [IVAW] just to give returning Iraqi veterans who are disillusioned and angry with the government and with this war in Iraq, a way to come together and organize a voice because we think it's powerful to have returning veterans especially who have seen what it is like over there, to speak against it."

Cindy Sheehan, Co-Founder of Gold Star Families for Peace, California

Her son Casey, a soldier, was killed in Iraq on April 4, 2004. "Our family never agreed with the war or it's reasons, but since Casey was killed, so many of the reasons and rationalizations that Bush has given have proven to be lies. My goal is to bring our troops home to try and save another mother from going through what I am going through"


Stan Goff, Retired Special Forces Master Sergeant, Raleigh, NC

He served in Ranger, Airborne and Special Forces counter-terrorist units, in eight conflict areas. He has since become a respected commentator on military matters and an outspoken critic of the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Stan's son Jessie serves in the U.S. Army and has been deployed to Iraq.

Nancy Lessin and Charley Richardson, Co-Founders of Military Families Speak Out

Military Families Speak Out is an organization of families opposed to the U.S. invasion and now the occupation of Iraq, all of whom have loved ones in the military. Their son Joe is a Marine who was deployed in August 2002, and who returned from Iraq on Memorial Day 2003. Nancy and Charley are both active in the labor movement.

Michael Hoffman, Co-Founder of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Pennsylvania

Took part in the invasion of Iraq in 2003 as a Marine lance-corporal. “The solution right now is a withdrawal of the American occupation force. It’s not working… IVAW will fill a void. It’s really hard for guys over there to express themselves. Any of their stories that we can relay is a big thing, because the picture we’re getting is filtered.”


Michael McPhearson, Executive Director, Veterans for Peace

A Gulf War vet, former field artillery officer, Michael is a native of Fayetteville and the new executive director of Veterans for Peace. He is the father of an active duty soldier stationed at Ft. Campbell, KY.


Kara Hollingsworth, Military Families Speak Out, Fayetteville, NC

A 25-year old student, mother and army wife living at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Her husband, who serves in the 18th Airborne Corp, was originally deployed to Iraq for one year in 2003 and is currently serving his second tour of duty there. She started to speak out during the elections in the fall of 2004 after seeing and reading about politicians in Washington constantly equating the slogan, “support our troops” with their own profit driven interest in continuing the open ended occupation of Iraq. “My husband is a soldier; those people in Washington asking for your support are business men posing as politicians. If you want to support our troops you have to know the difference”


Dennis Kyne, Gulf War Vet, California

Dennis filed in line behind multiple generations of Kyne's, and went into the United States Army where he was trained as a medic, became an emergency medical technician and was one of 23 recipients of the Expert Field Medical Badge during the contest of 1989 on Fort Benning, Georgia. Doc Kyne attained the esteemed title of United States Army Drill Sergeant by the time he was Twenty Four. Kyne served with the 24th Infantry Division in Operation Desert Storm, this was the most forward unit in the conflict.


Jane Bright, Gold Star Families For Peace, California

An active demonstrator who became involved with MFSO shortly after her
son, Evan Ashcraft, was killed in Iraq on July 24, 2003 in an ambush near near Mosul. She is the founder of the Evan Ashcraft Memorial Foundation, which awards grants and scholarships to veterans of this Iraq conflict and their dependents. The foundation’s benefits include medical and psychological treatment to assist vets and their families with the aftermath of active duty in Iraq.

 

[Itsthetruth]

GI Casualties In Iraq

March 18, 2005
1,520 Dead

February 26, 2005
11,220 Wounded In Action

How many more GI's will be wounded or lose their lives in vain?

It's time to bring our troops home.

 

[dilloduck]

# of citizens killed in the US by terrorists since 9/11---------------- 0

 

[Itsthetruth]

# of citizens killed in the US by terrorists since 9/11---------------- 0

So how many people were killed in the U.S. by Iraqi "terrorists" before the invasion of Iraq? 0!

Do you still believe that Iraq was behind the 9/11 terrorist attack?

 

[Itsthetruth]

Still have no idea what you are speaking of do you? well I guess it's no real surprise. Ok, hypothetically speaking if this war is about a lies as you would suggest, you think we should just up and pull the troops eh?

I'm sorry to hear that you think it's perfectly all right for more U.S. soldiers to lose their lives for a government that lied to them on why they have been sent to Iraq.

Perhaps you should tell the GI's and their loved ones that.

 

[OCA]

Fuckers can protest all they want, it don't mean shit. Same thing as Vietnam....wasted energy.

 

[OCA]

I'm sorry to hear that you think it's perfectly all right for more U.S. soldiers to lose their lives for a government that lied to them on why they have been sent to Iraq.

Perhaps you should tell the GI's and their loved ones that.

Prove the government outright lied.....this question has been posed thousands of times....nobody has done it yet.

Little hint....WMD is just a part of a whole myriad of reasons.

 

[OCA]

pretty much just like the fucker who started this thread!

Fuck him, i'm gonna axe his ass today.....un-American dickweed.

Yeah Truth i'm using foul language, what ya gonna do about it?