UNCA students walk out

FROM THE NEWSWIRE: Over 60 students walked out of classes here at UNC-Asheville on Thursday, March 20th, to answer the national call to action from Students for a Democratic Society. They were joined by members of the community, as well as members of the WNC Peace Coalition, Veterans for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, No More Victims, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization for a march downtown and a rally at Pack Square. These organizations made up the Asheville March 20 Coalition, organized by UNCA SDS. Leaders from all of these organizations spoke at the rally downtown.

Angela Denio spoke to the rally on behalf of UNCA SDS. In her speech to the assembled crowd she noted, “Almost 4000 American soldiers have died in this war. 1.2 million Iraqi people have died. Beyond this there is mass displacement- 4 million refugees.”

FROM THE NEWSWIRE: Students for a Democratic Society call for any and all student and youth based organizations that are opposed to the war in Iraq to mobilize their memberships, their campus, their community and hit the streets for the week of March 17-21, with March 20, the fifth anniversary of the war, as the focal point.

NATIONAL DAYS OF STUDENT ACTION AGAINST THE IRAQ WAR
ALL OUT FOR MARCH 20, 2008

This March will mark a grim milestone - the fifth anniversary of the illegal and immoral invasion of Iraq. Despite the clear mandate from the American people to end the occupation, the U.S. government continues to wage war upon the Iraqi people. Bush’s mocking response to dwindling public support for the war has been the “troop surge,” or simply more of the same, while simultaneously threatening neighboring countries like Iran. For their part, the Democrats refuse to commit to a clear anti-war stance, even as they try to posture as the opposition party. Meanwhile, the threat of domestic recession looms, racist attacks increase, and millions lack decent housing, jobs, education, and health-care.

The war will drag on for many more years–draining billions of dollars and resulting in thousands of more causalities, both American and Iraqi, on top of the hundreds of thousands already killed, injured, and displaced–unless the people stand up and fight for change.

FROM THE NEWSWIRE: You are encouraged to attend a bicycle ride from Asheville, North Carolina to Oak Ridge, Tennessee - for a peace rally, march, and direct action - aimed at the abolition of nuclear weapons production. This ride begins 8:00 AM at Vance Monument on August 1, and will end on August 4, at the Y12 Nuclear Weapons Plant. This will be a slow steady ride of about 50 miles per day. To participate in or otherwise support the ride contact Lena at 828-545-0639.

The Stop the Bombs campaign is a series of anti-nuclear weapons events sponsored by the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance - O.R.E.P.A. Primary focus is on the Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee - adherence to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty - and to Article VI of the U.S. Constitution. O.R.E.P.A. also advocates nuclear nonproliferation at the international level. A Hiroshima/Nagasaki commemoration will take place over the course of several days in August.