-----Original Message----- From: pablo paredes [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, May 02, 2005 10:38 AM Subject: CALL FOR NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION FOR GI RESISTERS: MAY 10 Please circulate widely: Call for a National Day of Action for GI Resisters on May 10, 2005 May 1, 2005 We urge you to join us in a "National Day of Action for GI Resisters" on Tuesday May 10, 2005. This is the day before the US military is planning to bring sailor Pablo Paredes and soldier Kevin Benderman before military court martial tribunals for their opposition to the Iraq War. They face forfeiture of pay and benefits, and military jail time. On December 6, 2004, Navy Petty Officer Pablo Paredes refused to board his ship as it left the San Diego Naval Station in support of the Iraq War and occupation. At the time of his refusal, Pablo said he hoped his protest might inspire other GI's to refuse to take part in the war. On January 5, 2005, Kevin Benderman refused to deploy for a second tour of duty in Iraq with the Army's Third Infantry Division. At the same time seventeen other soldiers from his unit went AWOL, two tried to kill themselves and one had a relative shoot him in the leg to avoid deploying. Both men applied for discharge from the US military as conscientious objectors. The military has wrongly rejected both claims. It's time for us to escalate public pressure and action in support of Pablo, Kevin and the thousands of other courageous men and women who have followed their conscience to uphold international law and to take a
principled stand against the unjust, illegal war and occupation of Iraq. It's time we had their backs. Objection and resistance by military servicepersons is a healthy and important assertion of Democracy in a country where the decisions to invade Iraq, to maintain an occupation, and engage in widespread human right violations and torture were made undemocratically in violation of international law and based on continuing lies and disinformation. Please join us by organizing a public demonstration, vigil or rally of support on May 10. Every action, no matter how large or small is important. Also, * Send letters of support and donations to cover legal fees to Pablo and Kevin via their websites listed below. * Come to San Diego, California (Pablo) or Fort Stewart, Georgia (Kevin) to show your support during their trials. * Write letters to the editor, and help educate your organization, church, union, school, co-workers and community. Resisting illegal occupation and war is not a crime! The right to conscientious objection is being systematically violated by the military. Those objectors who are publicly asserting their rights are being singled out for punishment. We demand that military personnel retain their right to follow their conscience, publicly dissent and that their basic democratic rights be respected. A better world is possible. Initial signatures * Monica Benderman - spouse of Kevin Benderman * Victor Paredes - brother of Pablo Paredes * Aimee Allison - Gulf War CO; Oakland City Council Candidate * Medea Benjamin - CodePink, co-founder; Global Exchange, founding Director * Leslie Cagan - United for Peace and Justice, Nat'l Steering Cmte * Stephen Funk - former Marine and first public Iraq War resister * Susan Galleymore - MotherSpeak; military mother; Courage to Resist * Lynn Gonzalez - San Diego Military Counseling Project * Jack Heyman - Int'l Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10, Exec Board member * George Johnson - Veterans for Peace, Nat'l Exec Board member * Ragina Johnson - College Not Combat * Naomi Klein - activist; writer * Sharon Lee Kufeldt - Veterans for Peace, Nat'l Exec Board VP * Barbara Lubin - Middle East Children's Alliance, Director; ANSWER, Nat'l Steering Committee member * Efia Nwangaza - Afrikan Am Institute for Policy Studies * Siri Margerin - United for Peace and Justice, Nat'l Steering Cmte; Iraq Peace Panel Project * Steve Morse - GI Rights Program Coor, Central Cmte for Conscientious Objectors * Jeff Paterson - Not in Our Name; former Marine and 1991 Gulf War resister * David Solnit - People Powered Strategy Project; Courage to Resist * Vida Shahamat and Brain Barry - South Bay Mobilization Against the War * Aryeh Shell - Courage to Resist; Popular Education and Action CollectivE * Samina Faheem Sundas - American Muslim Voice * Fernando Suarez del Solar - father of Marine Jesus Suarez killed in Iraq * Fr. Louie Vitale, O.F.M., St Boniface Church; Korea War veteran * Bob Wing - War Times * Howard Zinn - historian; author * Frank Dorrel - Publisher of Addicted To War, member of Veterans For Peace (Organizations listed for identification purposes only) More info about Pablo Paredes: http://www.SwiftSmartVeterans.com <http://www.swiftsmartveterans.com/> More info about Kevin Benderman: http://www.BendermanDefense.org <http://www.bendermandefense.org/> For May 10 actions, leaflets, and more: http://www.CourageToResist.org <http://www.couragetoresist.org/> Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ Defend Pablo: Put the WAR on Trial 3 days of protest and events to support war resister Pablo Paredes as he faces court martial by the US Navy May 10th - May 13th 2005 San Diego, CA Pablo is the first active duty member of the US Navy to publicly refuse to participate in the Iraq war and occupation. He will be tried inside the San Diego 32nd St. Naval Station, which houses 20 piers and 40 war vessels. Everyone on the San Diego area who opposes this war needs to come out to support Pablo. Help spread the word, organize a caravan or bus if you're from out of town, and come out to show your dissent! EVENTS: May 10th @ 7pm: Voices of Resistance War resisters Pablo Paredes, Camilo Mejia and Aiden Delgado with surprise guest! MLK Center 6134 Benson Avenue (619-262-8384) $5 suggested donation, no one turned away May 11th @ 7:30pm: Put the WAR on Trial Author Naomi Klein, international law expert Marjorie Cohn and Pablo Paredes MLK Center 6134 Benson Avenue (619-262-8384) $5 suggested donation, no one turned away Directions to the MLK Center: Go EAST from the 805 on Imperial Avenue, about 1.5 mi. Turn RIGHT on 61st Street. The large church at the corner of Benson Ave. at top of the hill is Bayview Baptist church - the gymnasium (our Venue) is next door. PROTEST: May 11th - May 13th At the court martial - main gates of the Naval Station: 32nd St & Harbor Mock trial and street theater! For more information: http://swiftsmartveterans.com <http://swiftsmartveterans.com/> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> What would our lives be like without music, dance, and theater? 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