Florida’s First Mass Anti-War March to STOP War with Iran

On Saturday, August 30 the grassroots group, Patriots for Peace, will lead a nonpartisan march from Front Street Park (2205 S. Front Street, Melbourne, FL 32935) to Melbourne City Hall (900 E. Strawbridge Ave., Melbourne, FL 32901) to demand Democrats and Republicans halt build-up for war against Iran at 2pm.

This march will be Florida’s first major action against war with Iran. To date the event has been endorsed by CODEPINK Florida, Humanists for Peace, Brevard NOW, Peace Now Citrus County, Marions for Peace, People for Peace and Justice/St. Augustine, Social Concerns Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Key West, Humanists of Greater Fort Walton Beach, Central Florida Veterans For Peace, CODEPINK of East Central Florida, and Military Families Speak Out (Florida Chapter).

We hope to raise awareness about the bipartisan bill, House Concurrent Resolution 362, which seeks deadly sanctions and a blockade against Iran; new details of the U.S.’s secret war on Iran as reported by Seymour Hersh in the New Yorker; and the fact that Iran, according to the U.S. National Intelligence Estimate, does not posses a nuclear weapon.

To find out more about H. Con. Res. 362 and the untold story of the build-up for war against Iran read Jeff Nall’s article, “The Bipartisan Road to War in Iran” http://towardfreedom.com/home/content/view/1354/1/ Below you will find a short summary.

War on Iran would be both irrational and immoral. The consequences of going to war with Iran would be horrifying. Gas prices will skyrocket, many more American soldiers will die, and tens-of-thousands of women and children will be destroyed beneath our bombs. Our government’s own data, reported in the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), reported that Iran does not have a nuclear bomb and is not an imminent threat to the United States. And multiple military leaders object to the idea of starting war or sanctions on Iran.

The August 30th march will be fashioned after Patriots for Peace’s February 15, 2003 protest against the looming war with Iraq. Local media reported that between 400 and 500 people of all political stripes participated in the 2003 march. This turnout was duplicated in the organization’s March 16 demonstration. The August 30th march will be the first anti-war march to take place since Patriots for Peace led a group of at least 300 to protest the continuing Iraq war on March 17, 2007.

Please pledge to attend this event. Email us sabletide@yahoo.com to let us know you’re coming. And go to www.HumanistsforPeace.com for up-to-the-date information on the build-up for war with Iran.
We are also looking for 1) people who will help us distribute flyers, 2) post bulletins around myspace and other relevant websites, 3) assist in organizing, and/or 4) donations of any dollar amount to spread the word

About H. CON. RES. 362

To date more than 100 House Democrats have joined 117 House Republicans in co-sponsoring House Concurrent Resolution 362 which describes Iran as a threat to international peace, stability in the Middle East, and US National Security.

Introduced on May 22 by New York Democrat Gary Ackerman, the bill calls for an affective blockade against Iran, which, according to international law, is an act of aggression. As of July 5 the bill has 220 co-sponsors.

Joining local Republican representative Tom Feeney (R-FL) are nine Democrats including: the "Fire Breathing Liberal" himself, Rep. Robert Wexler (Dist 19), Rep. Kendrick Meek (Dist 17), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Dist 20), Rep. Rob Klein (Dist 22), Rep. Corine Brown (Dist 3), Rep. F. Allen Boyd, Jr. (Dist 2), Rep. Kathy Castor (Dist 11), Tim Mahoney (Dist 16), and Rep. Alcee Hastings (Dist 23).

H. Con. Res. 362 specifically calls on President Bush to "initiate an international effort to immediately and dramatically increase the economic, political, and diplomatic pressure on Iran to verifiably suspend its nuclear enrichment activities." The bill urges the President to block refined petroleum exports to Iran and to impose "stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo entering or departing Iran; and prohibiting the international movement of all Iranian officials not involved in negotiating the suspension of Iran's nuclear program."