Sept. 24 preparations: Planes, trains and automobiles ready to roll to Washington

The phones at the national offices of United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ), a coalition of 1,300 national and local groups that oppose the Bush administration’s policy of permanent warfare and empire building, are ringing off the hook.

“People are asking if there is still time to get seats (transportation) for the demonstration on September 24,” said UFPJ media coordinator Bill Dobbs. “The answer is yes. We are expecting a seriously large crowd.”

Joining tens of thousands from the East Coast and the Midwest is a “Peace Train” from New Orleans. The coalition is making a special effort to mobilize the greater Washington, D.C., area and New York City, distributing 175,000 leaflets in these two metropolitan centers.

“This is an important moment,” said Dobbs. “The sentiment in Congress is shifting. There are now between 60 and 70 members of the Out of Iraq Caucus and it is growing. Up until the Downing Street memos and the stand of Cindy Sheehan, Congress had done little more than give Bush more money. The latest CNN/USA Today poll shows 33 percent of the American people want all the troops withdrawn and 23 percent want some of the troops withdrawn.”

While the Saturday march garners most of the attention, three days of action to force the government to bring home the troops and protect immigrant rights and civil liberties in the U.S. are scheduled. Dobbs urged marchers to plan to stay for the Monday, Sept. 26, lobbying of Congress. Congress can divert the ocean of money from warfare to withdrawal, he said. For more information, visit www.unitedforpeace.org.

dwinebr696 @ aol.com