Voice of Revolution

End Criminal War Against Afghanistan

Fight for an Anti-War Government

Numerous anti-war actions are taking place across the country October 5-7, marking the anniversary of the start of the criminal U.S. war against Afghanistan in 2001. Demonstrators are taking their stand with the peoples abroad demanding: All U.S. Troops Home Now! and No Drones, No Sanctions! There is also broad opposition to the growing repression at home. Demands against government profiling and impunity, using measures like police Stop & Frisk and FBI entrapment of Muslims, are widespread.

There is growing recognition that as the U.S. continues its aggressive wars and threatens to invade Iran and Syria, increased militarization of life at home is also required. Regimentation of the youth, forcing them into prison or the military is integral to this. African American and Latino youth are especially being targeted, accounting for 90 percent of those stopped and often jailed by New York police using Stop and Frisk. As protesters emphasize, Stop and Frisk is a Crime, Police Brutality is a Crime. The peoples stand is: Not One Youth for Imperialist War! Impunity is the Crime, Resistance the Solution!

The large majority of people think the war in Afghanistan should be ended immediately and all troops brought home now. Working people do not want relations based on aggression and might makes right. As the actions indicate, they are fighting for relations of mutual respect and benefit with the peoples of the world, and an end to U.S. racism and genocide abroad and at home. But the will of the majority does not carry weight in the current set up and is not represented by the presidential candidates.

Election time is an opportunity to think outside the box — to reject the confines of the existing set up and fight for an anti-war government representing the anti-war stand of the majority. An anti-war government is one that would Bring All U.S. Troops Home Now as an immediate contribution to peace and security for all. It would act to disband NATO. It would develop relations of mutual respect and benefit with the peoples worldwide, eliminating trade agreements based on U.S. domination and annexation. It would be internationalist in its spirit, standing with the workers everywhere fighting as one for a bright future, for societies in the image of the working class and its stand of All for One and One for All. An anti-war government would be a pro-social government, standing for rights to jobs, education, housing, healthcare, pensions and blocking mass incarceration and genocide.

An anti-war government is a necessity, not a dream for the future. Recognizing that necessity means contending with the problem people face that their majority will, their anti-war, pro-social stands do not carry weight in the existing political set up. The people are not the decision makers and indeed are systematically blocked from that role.

Part of fighting for an anti-war government is holding today’s governments to account for their pro-war, anti-social stands as the actions nationwide are doing. And it is fighting for new electoral system where political empowerment of the people themselves as decision-makers is guaranteed. Immediate steps in that direction include:

1) fighting for public funding of the process, not the candidates, where the equal right to elect and be elected is guaranteed and the process provides for an informed vote.

2) identifying worker politicians from our collectives — of workers, women, youth, African Americans, and so forth and supporting efforts to have their stands widely known, before, during, and after elections.

3) have house meetings, classroom discussions, public forums and use radio programs to promote the necessity for an anti-war government and a new electoral process to achieve it.

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Boston Action Against Wars Abroad And Police State Attacks At Home

Boston United for Justice with Peace & others

(We reprint below the call by Boston organizers for their October 6 action as representative of those nationwide.)

Eleven years ago on October 7, the U.S. unleashed a war on Afghanistan, followed by the war on Iraq based on lies. While thousands of troops remain in these countries, U.S. drone missiles rain down on Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia. Now the government imposes sanctions and threatens to attack Syria and Iran. The U.S. sends troops and threatens to retaliate against anti-US protesters in the Middle East. These actions will escalate the nightmare of war in the Middle East, not end it.

To wage war abroad, they must wage war at home. The last decade has seen escalating repression and poverty at home. Islamophobia and scapegoating of Muslims leads to manufactured frame-ups and violence against the Muslim community. Civil liberties and the right to dissent are under siege with indefinite detention and extra-judicial assassinations now the law of the land.

Racism is a weapon of war. They use it against Muslims and immigrants. They’ve stepped up the war on Black and Latino youth, with racial profiling, stop and frisk, and harsh sentencing — resulting in police brutality, mass incarceration, military weapons in the hands of police, and a hugely profitable prison industry.

To pay for wars and to maximize the profits of the haves, they take more and more from the have-nots. We see cuts to the social safety nets, attacks on labor, huge unemployment, privatization of public services, neglect of infrastructure, and poisoning of the environment.

Let’s Stand Together In Unity And Solidarity. Together We Are Powerful!
Hands Off Syria And Iran!
No To Racism, Raids, And Repression! No To Islamophobia!

(Demonstration October 6 Sponsored by: United National Antiwar Coalition, United for Justice with Peace, International Action Center, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Boston, Committee for Peace & Human Rights, Boston, New England United, Rhode Island Mobilization Committee)

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Nationwide Actions Demand:
All U.S. Troops Home Now!
No to Government Repression and Impunity

Below is a listing of some of the actions taking place across the country on the anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and in the face of mounting government repression and impunity at home. For a full listing see the United National Antiwar Coalition, unacpeace.org)

Massachusetts

Boston, October 6, 1:30pm, Park St.

Action Against Wars Abroad And Police State Attacks On Civil Liberties At Home

Join us in a march and rally to protest the dangerous escalation in threats of military action against Syria and Iran and increased racist violence and repression at home.

New Hampshire

Concord, October 5, 5:30pm Capitol Center for the Arts

New Hampshire Peace Action is celebrating 30 years of educating, advocating and organizing for world peace! October 5, NH Peace Action’s 30th Anniversary Event and Fall Fundraiser, at the Capitol Center for the Arts

New York

Albany, October 3, 6:00 – 7:00pm, Dana Park

Peace Vigil & Speak Out Marking 11th Anniversary of U.S. War Against Afghanistan

Dana Park at the intersection of Delaware Ave, Lark Street, and Madison Avenue

Sponsored by: Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace, Schenectady Neighbors for Peace, Tom Paine Chapter Veterans For Peace, and other local peace and justice organizations. Information: Trudy 466-1192

Buffalo, October 6, 11–Noon, Elmwood and Bidwell

In coordination with UNAC’s call for actions on the 11th Anniversary of the War on Afghanistan: Protest and Leafleting demanding All Troops Home Now! No to Police Brutality and Repression.

Sponsored by Buffalo/WNY International Action Center, Buffalo Forum, Burning Books and more.

New York City, October 7, 4 – 7pm, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building in Harlem

Rally and March to: Bring the Troops Home Now! No Sanctions! Hands Off Syria & Iran, Stand with Palestine! Stop the Cutbacks! End Stop and Frisk! No to Racism, Raids & Repression.

Sponsored by UNAC, Muslim Leadership Council of Metro NY, DRUM, IAC, Muslim Peace Coalition USA, and more.

New York City, October 6, 12 Noon, Rally at Times Square Military Recruiting Center

STOP U.S. Aggression and Continued War on the World! Not in Our Name!

Memorial to those killed by U.S. war on Afghanistan at Times Square, Military Recruiting Center, March to Union Square. Bring shoes to represent the people killed during 11 years of U.S. occupation.