MARCH 18 - 19: A Call to Action

On March 18 and 19, the Third Anniversary of the War--

World Unity Against The WAR - Bring All the Troops Home Now!

End All Occupations

Stop the War Abroad and the War at Home

Justice for Katrina Survivors

Money for Peoples' Needs, Not War

Unite Against Racism, Poverty & War

In New York City - March from Harlem to Times Square!

Demonstrations in Boston; Detroit; Denver; Baltimore; Atlanta; Los Angeles; San Diego; Raleigh, NC; Washington, DC; Buffalo; and across the country!

endorse list local action donate

The Troops Out Now Coalition joins the world movement against the war in calling for coordinated mass protests and resistance to the war and occupation of Iraq on the weekend of March 18 and 19, the third anniversary of the U.S. invasion. It must be clear that the people will not be fooled by partial withdrawal plans. We demand the withdrawal of all occupation troops now.

Let's stand together with our sisters and brothers across the world against all colonial occupations from Iraq and Palestine, to Afghanistan and Haiti, to the Philippines, South Korea and Puerto Rico. Stop the threats on Iran and Venezuela. Hands Off Cuba. Together we demand no more new wars.

Bush's arrogant response to the demand to withdraw the troops from Iraq is a renewed vow to continue the criminal colonial occupation of Iraq and elsewhere until "victory". The leaders of the Democratic Party, for all their criticism of the way that the Bush regime has conducted the war, remain war supporters.

If we've learned anything over the past 3 years, it is that the only force that we can rely on to stop the war and occupation, bring the troops home, and to stop the plan for world empire by military force is the people mobilized into a mass, militant movement that makes itself felt in the streets.

In the U.S., TONC urges all anti-war caolitions and organizations, at the national and local level, to work together on the mobilizations in March for this is the best way to insure that the popular opposition to the war be turned into mass opposition in the streets. It is not necessary that all coalitions have identical views BUT it is necessary that we not allow differences to be an obstacle to unity.

With the level of opposition to the war stronger than ever, we could bring the entire country to a halt on March 18 and 19. We, as a movement, can do that only if we commit to forging unity.

TONC will be organizing for March 18 and 19 in every city large and small, from Boston, to Los Angeles, from Atlanta to Detroit. In New York City, TONC invites everyone to join us in a mass march from Harlem to Times Square for a rally on Saturday, March 18. By marching from the capital of the African-American community in the U.S. to the center of the city, we hope to underscore the reality that we are fighting to stop two wars-- the war abroad and the war at home against racism and poverty.

Amongst the many challenges that we face as anti-war activists and organizers, nothing is more important than linking the concrete struggles of poor and working people, especially people of color in this country, to the anti-war struggle. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's denial of clemency to death row inmate, Stanley "Tookie" Williams, is only the latest example of the systemic racism that oppresses, tortures and kills people in many different ways.

Our unity is strengthened by supporting full rights for immigrant workers here in the U.S. - not sweeps, arrests, deportation and fear. And our unity is strengthened by standing with people struggling for the right to return to their homes - this includes tens of thousands of people in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast kept from their homes by the criminal neglect and racism of FEMA to the Palestinian people struggling for the right to return to their historic homeland.

The racism and lethal hostility of the government towards poor and working people, exposed by the response to Hurricane Katrina, has made the strengthening of links all the more urgent. TONC proposes that all anti-war and progressive forces demonstrate solidarity with the struggle of Katrina survivors by making the demand for justice for Katrina survivors central to the March protests by engaging communities of color; making the protests relevant to these communities; coordinating with the survivors of Katrina and the activists involved in the Katrina struggle.