Anti-war activists and Obama supporters show up at McCain rally

Earlier today, several members of RAW traveled down to Pemberton, New Jersey, where a McCain rally took place at Burlington County College. A small demonstration took place at the side of the road prior to the event, with people holding signs such as "Obama '08," "NJ Says Troops Out," "Hey MCain, you can't hide, we charge you with genocide," and a giant banner reading "We Stand Against Imperialism." There were some honks of support from passing motorists.
The rally then wrapped up, and several of us managed to make our way inside the rally with our signs. The event was billed as a "town hall," but it was in essence a McCain rally, rather than an opportunity for people of diverse views to show up and ask tough questions of the candidate. McCain answered only about six or seven questions, none of them particularly challenging. He did, however, stumble a bit on questions about energy policy and disability rights legislation. But they were all essentially softballs. A few of us raised our hands many times, planning to grill McCain about his support for the bloody imperial project in the Middle East, but were not called on. When the "town hall meeting" concluded, a lot sooner than we expected it to, we held up our signs and banner and started chanting "troops out now!," and "end the occupation!" People reacted with much hostility. One man angrily shoved RAW member Brian Williams. A pro-McCain student told us to "go fuck [ourselves]." Various people tried to grab our signs and rip them up. We stayed in the room for about twenty minutes after the rally ended, being interviewed by reporters and having some discussions with McCain supporters. One man said that he didn't like anti-war demonstrators because they propose no "realistic" solutions to the problems in the Middle East; I responded that if by "realistic" he means a continued U.S. presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, things will only get worse, and that self-determination and human rights for the people can only be advanced when the troops are withdrawn.
-Alex




















photo by John O'Boyle/Star Ledger

Dershowitz Welcomed by Protests at Rutgers University

A group of protesters gathered on May 8 in front of the Rutgers University auditorium where Alan Dershowitz was scheduled to speak. He was invited to Rutgers to deliver the key note for the celebration of Israel's 60th anniversary. The protesters, many of whom were involved in Rutgers Against the War/ Campus Antiwar Network, held signs such as "Jews Against the Occupation", "Settlements = Ethnic Cleansing", and "End Israeli Apartheid". Several of the attendees took literature, but many were hostile. After one Jewish protester tried to hand literature to an attendee, the attendee threatened to spit in his face. Likewise, one of the Palestinian protesters encountered racist comments; a woman referred to Palestinians as "those damn Arabs." The highlight of the night was when Dershowitz came out to speak to the protesters. He approached with the police watching and said "Its good you are bringing up the Nakbah because I am going to mention it in my speech. The Nakbah is a self inflicted wound!" Dershowitz then refused to respond to incredulous replies. When asked about his statements supporting torture he offered, "I dont support torture. I believe the government should get a warrant first." He then started to walk away. One of the protesters replied, "Should they get a permit before they bomb Palestinian villages?" Though many of the attendees were old enough to remember the establishment of the state of Israel, they could not ignore the growing size of university-based protests against the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the involvement of an increasing number of supportive American Jews.

New Brunswick City Council Passes Anti-War Resolution

Rutgers students and community activists packed the city council meeting last night, demanding that it pass a resolution against the war in Iraq, and that use its influence to get the
charges against the Rutgers 3 (Suzan Sanal, Erik Straub, Arwa Ibrahim) dropped. The resolution was passed unanimously, and New Brunswick thus became the fourth city in New Jersey to stand against the war. None of us had expected the council to actually pass the resolution; this was an incredible victory and the perfect culmination of a year of activism against the occupation.
Link: Home New Tribune article

Text of Resolution:

WHEREAS, The City of New Brunswick unequivocally supports the men and women in uniform from New Brunswick and the whole of the United State who are stationed overseas in Iraq. These individuals are making unimaginable sacrifices for their country; and

WHEREAS, The Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 was passed by the US Congress on October 11, 2002, and that Public Law 107-243 cited Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction as a primary reason for the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq; and

WHEREAS, On January 12, 2005, President Bush officially declared an end to the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq; and

WHEREAS, This March marked the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq; and

WHEREAS, The City Council of New Brunswick expresses its deep opposition to the Bush Administration's continuation of the war in Iraq after its mendacious and deceptive methods of garnering initial support ; and

WHEREAS, The City of New Brunswick mourns and honors the approximately 4,000 Americans who have given their lives; and

WHEREAS, The City of New Brunswick recognizes that the physical, psychological, and emotional injuries inflicted on over a million service people who have served in Iraq cannot at this time be adequately quantified; and

WHEREAS, The City of New Brunswick mourns the indescribable suffering inflicted on the people of Iraq, and

WHEREAS, The City of New Brunswick, like cities throughout the nation relies on support from the federal government to adequately provide for the basic needs of its citizens; and

WHEREAS, The United States Congress has appropriated over $400 billion to fund military operations and Iraqi reconstruction, while a steady decline in Federal Housing and Urban Development grants has been experienced since 2002, the year before the war began; and

WHEREAS, The City of New Brunswick recognizes the necessity of maintaining the basic constitutional rights of its citizens, especially in a time of war.


BE IT HERE BY
RESOLVED, That the City Council of New Brunswick will continue to support the troops currently serving in Iraq and their families; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the City Council of New Brunswick will do all it can to help care for those who have been wounded or injured in the line of duty, and support those who are grieving at the loss of a loved one, and be it further

RESOLVED, That the City Council of New Brunswick communicates its desire to the members of Congress to end the war in Iraq and draw down the combat troops stationed in that country, and be it further

RESOLVED, That the City Council of New Brunswick urges the Federal government to pursue solutions to our country's domestic issues with the same zeal it pursued the invasion of Iraq; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the city Council of New Brunswick will do what it can to support any city residents working to end the War, and be it further

RESOLVED, That Freedom of Speech and freedom of assembly will be staunchly upheld in all cases of peaceful protest in opposition to the War; and be it further

RESOLVED, That at each meeting of the Council, after the Pledge of Allegiance, time is taken to suitably honor those Americans and Iraqis who have lost their lives in the conflict and
communicate information about the continuing fiscal and humanitarian costs to the City of New
Brunswick.
















Erik Straub of Tent State/SDS addressing the council (Photo by Tiffany Cheng)

















RAW member Suzan Sanal reacting to false claims by the city's lawyer about the events leading up to the March 27th Walkout (Photo by Tiffany Cheng)

RAW Updates

This blog hasn't been updated in a while, so here's a summary of things RAW is involved in these days.

Divestment Campaign

Rutgers University's endowment fund is invested in eleven war profiteering companies: Boeing Co., Caterpillar, Inc., DYNCORP International, FMC Tech. Inc., Forster Wheeler, General Electric, Halliburton Co., Honeywell International Inc., L-3 Communications Inc., Northrop Grumman Corp., and Raytheon.
RAW is circulating a petition among the student body, and has gathered hundreds of signatures. The petition demands that Rutgers divest from these military contractors, because it is socially irresponsible to invest in companies that profit from a war that has created a humanitarian catastrophe in Iraq. The university has in the past committed to the principle of socially responsible investment; it divested from South Africa in 1985, and recently divested from Sudan. The second demand of the petition is for an open endowment, readily available for public scrutiny. Rutgers currently has no known policy on disclosing its endowment holdings, making it difficult to access the information. RAW members are also drafting a proposal on divestment that will be submitted to the university's committee on investments.

Campaign to Defend the RU 3



Three Rutgers students, Suzan Sanal (a RAW member), Erik Straub (Tent State/SDS), and Arwa Ibrahim were issued summonses for their participation in the march onto Route 18, which took place during the Rutgers Walkout Against the War on March 27. They have been charged with disorderly conduct, and if convicted could face up to 30 days in jail, a $500 fine, and a record of an "offense" that would take several years to expunge. The complaint states, "Did engage in conduct which caused a physically dangerous or hazardous condition, specifically by organizing and participating in a protest march onto Route 18 disrupting traffic in violation of N.J.S. 2c: 33-2A(2)."
The Rutgers Walkout Coalition is protesting these charges for several reasons. Arwa Ibrahim did not attend a single planning meeting for the Walkout, so it is ludicrous that she is charged with "organizing" it. Also, the Coalition did not plan the march onto Route 18; it happened on the initiative of the crowd. Furthermore, the law on disorderly conduct states: "A person is guilty of a petty disorderly persons offense, if with purpose to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof he creates a hazardous or physically dangerous condition by any act which serves no legitimate purpose of the actor." A protest to end an unjust war is certainly a "legitimate purpose."
Here are some links related to the RU 3:
Rutgers Walkout Coalition blog
Daily Targum article
Star Ledger article
Home News Tribune article
MichaelMoore.com press release
An article from the Targum stating police were pleased with the rally's nature

Upcoming Winter Soldier Event

In 1776, Thomas Paine wrote: “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”

In 1971, a courageous group of veterans testified about their eyewitness accounts of the Vietnam War in an event called Winter Soldier. On March 13-16th, 2008, service members and veterans once again demanded that the voices of those who actually fight and prosecute the war be heard:

"Once again, we are fighting for the soul of our country. We will demonstrate our patriotism by speaking out with honor and integrity instead of blindly following failed policy. Winter Soldier is a difficult but essential service to our country."

Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan featured testimony from U.S. veterans who served in those occupations, giving an accurate account of what is really happening day in and day out, on the ground.

Two veterans who testified at Winter Soldier will be coming to speak at Rutgers at two times, 3:30pm at Beck Hall Auditorium and 9pm at the Graduate Student Lounge:

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

James Gilligan:
US Marine Corporal (promoted to Sgt on IRR). Served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay.

Iraq 2003 initial invasion, 2nd CEB H&S Co (Combat Engineer Battalion), Corporal E-4, NBC Recon Team Member for CEB Main (Nuclear Biological Chemical Warfare).

USNBGTMO Cuba 2003, 3/6 Wpns Co CAAT Plt (Combined Anti-Armor Team), Cpl E-4. Served on the fence line and in the JOC (Joint Operations Center). He has seen Camp X-Ray from the outside and was called to a stress team doctor once there. He has also spoken with several MP's who worked with detainees.

Afghanistan 2004, 3/6 Wpns Co CAAT Plt, Cpl E-4, 240 Gunner on a CAAT truck. He also worked as a tunnel rat.

You may contact James at gilligan007@gmail.com

Kristofer Goldsmith:
US Army Sergeant Kristofer Goldsmith served in Iraq in 2005 as a forward observer.

Unit: 1-30 Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division
Rank: Sergeant
Served in: State Side Duty OSUT- Jan-May 2004: Ft Sill, OK Permanent Duty Station- May 2004 - August 2007: 3ID Ft Stewart, GA Deployment- OIF III Jan 2005-Aug 2005: Sadr City, Baghdad (FOB Hope) Aug 2005-Dec 2005: Central Baghdad (Camp Liberty)

Walkout Targum Op/ed by Suzan Sanal

To the Editor:
The 5th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq approaches on March 19th. We will move into the 6th year of a war in which US forces have incurred close to 4,000 fatalities and 30,000 wounded. Estimates of Iraqi fatalities, causalities, displacements and refugees are in the millions, from a pre-war population of 25 million. Projections of the cost to the US treasury are over $2 trillion. What can the Rutgers community do at this moment to express our opposition to the continuing devastation of this war that should have never been started?

WALK-OUT ON THURSDAY, MARCH 27TH AT 1:23PM

Last year, a coalition of student organizations organized a university-wide demonstration that included a walk-out, rally, protest, and march. With little over a month to get it together, the Rutgers community held the largest East Coast action on the anniversary of the war and the second largest in the entire nation. Students, faculty members, and staff walked out of their classes, jobs, dorm rooms, and dining halls and joined a rally at the Vietnam Memorial in the center of Voorhees Mall on College Ave. We listened to fellow students from organizations involved in the coalition, members of the faculty, an Iraqi-American student, a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War and Rutgers alumnus, and the mother of Rutgers alumnus U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Seth Jeremy Dvorin who was killed in action in Iraq.

After our rally we took to the streets of New Brunswick and marched to the Marine Recruiting Station on New Street to protest the use of Rutgers resources to attract students into the armed forces with empty promises of tuition coverage and benefits. We chanted to the beats of drums, “One! We are the Students! Two! This is our Movement! Three! We will not join the mil-a-tar-y!” We voiced that military recruiting should be honest, with full disclosure of risks and benefits to prospective recruits, and until then, we refuse to view joining the military as an option.

We followed that rally with an unexpected march on Route 18, which resulted in shutting down the highway for 15 minutes. Construction workers flashed peace signs and gave us thumbs-up and drivers honked in support. Members of the New Brunswick community joined our rally. All along we chanted, “Show me what democracy looks like! This is what democracy looks like!” We hit the Associated Press wires and drew national attention across college campuses.

We ended the Walk-Out back at the Vietnam Memorial, inspired to continue our actions against the war and to continue supporting veterans and Iraqi civilians.

And we’re doing it again…

The Occupation of Iraq is still going on and we need to continue to insist on full and immediate withdrawal of all US troops from Iraq. Our government needs to listen to Americans, U.S. troops in Iraq, and Iraqis, who all overwhelmingly oppose the continued war and occupation and want it to end soon.

WE NEED YOUR HELP! Our coalition has grown, but we need the Rutgers community’s support to organize this year’s Walk-Out. We are holding a mass meeting in the Graduate Student Lounge on College Ave. next to the Rutgers Student Center behind Au Bon Pain at 9pm tonight. We want your input. We need your help getting the word out and planning. We are confident that that this year’s Walk-Out will be even bigger and bolder than last year’s. You won’t want to miss it…

5 YEARS TOO MANY! BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW!

Rutgers Against the War Solidarity Statement for the Princeton High School Walkout

Your walkout is an inspiration to all of the students in NJ and across the country who have been struggling for years to bring an end to America’s quest for empire. Like Rutgers, Princeton High School turns over records of its students to military recruiters and preys on them with promises for college tuition assistance. Your walkout is a statement that the youth of America are standing up, they aren’t giving up. It is a statement that we are not passive, but that we are disrupting our lives and the institutions that silence and control us. You are not alone in your actions, but are part of a bigger movement that is culminating in walkouts, marches, and civil disobedience across the country and the world. Rutgers Against the War is fully committing to supporting our brothers and sisters at Princeton High School in their walkout and in the struggle for human rights, justice, and peace.

Divestment Rosetta Stone

Divestment Rosetta Stone

By: Ian Chinich

After 6 months of investigating, talking to numerous administrative staff, and having dozens of emails go unanswered, Rutgers Against the War was able to acquire a list of mutual funds and companies where Rutgers University is investing funds. Though the endowment investment information was supposed to be readily acquirable under the public records act, Rutgers lacked a systematic approach of acquiring the information. Through cunning and guile, RAW members were able to still achieve their goal of opening up the endowment to scrutiny.

The list includes 11 prominent military contractors who are contributing to human rights violations (and often being outright murderous).

The companies of particular note are:

Boeing Co.

Caterpillar, Inc.

DYNCORP International

FMC Tech. Inc.

Forster Wheeler

General Electric

Halliburton Co.

Honeywell International Inc.

L-3 Communications Inc.

Northrop Grumman Corp.

Raytheon

It also includes Exxon Mobil Corp. which has made billions of dollars in profits as the disruption of Iraq’s oil supply led to dramatically increased oil prices.

Rutgers Against the War will use this information to conduct a divestment campaign in the mold of the anti-apartheid divestment campaigns of the 80s. If you are interested in learning more, come to a RAW meeting at 9:10 pm on Thursdays in Scott hall rm 101.