[WCUSP] Fwd: [sds] Throwing Stuff Over the White House Fence

[Odile Hugonot Haber]

Dear WILPFers

It does not take 2,000 women doing a sit in in Congress
to do an action that is noticed. 50 WILPF members can be
doing something creative also. We have a feminist challenge
to offer and we have deep convictions and a long history.

I am glad for the democratic election victory but the war
in Iraq has not stopped and Palestine is in the worst shape.
Let us not abandon our sisters who need us desperately.

Without a movement in the street Congress will wafle.

Let' move to action!


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: N Hancock <gn7han at carolina.net>
Date: Nov 9, 2006 5:59 PM
Subject: [sds] Throwing Stuff Over the White House Fence
To: "Undisclosed-Recipient:;"@catfur.mutualaid.org



Throwing Stuff Over the White House Fence

By David Swanson



On Wednesday, Cindy Sheehan, Ann Wright, Lennox Yearwood, and about 50
other activists for peace met up on the sidewalk in front of the White
House.  I brought along a box containing 6,000-some pages of names and
comments: about 80,000 names with cities and states, about half of
them with comments beside them.  These were the names of people who
have signed the petition at www.DontAttackIran.org  The media gathered
around, and Cindy read the petition out loud:



"Dear President Bush and Vice President Cheney,

"We write to you from all over the United States and all over the
world to urge you to obey both international and U.S. law, which
forbid aggressive attacks on other nations. We oppose your proposal to
attack Iran. Iran does not possess nuclear weapons, just as Iraq did
not possess nuclear weapons. If Iran had such weapons, that would not
justify the use of force, any more than any other nation would be
justified in launching a war against the world's greatest possessor of
nuclear arms, the United States. The most effective way to prevent
Iran from developing nuclear weapons would be to closely monitor its
nuclear energy program, and to improve diplomatic relations -- two
tasks made much more difficult by threatening to bomb Iranian
territory. We urge you to lead the way to peace, not war, and to begin
by making clear that you will not commit the highest international
crime by aggressively attacking Iran."



We took the box of petition signatures over to the gate and asked the
guard to accept it on behalf of the President.  He asked Cindy to read
the petition to him, which she did.  Then he left and came back a few
times, claiming that he was trying to find the proper person to accept
it, but more likely waiting for more guards and Park Service police to
show up.



Eventually we got tired of waiting.  We handed a stack of pages to
everyone in the crowd and asked them to stick them through the fence.
Pages began piling up all over the White House driveway and front
yard.  Then a line of police officers stepped in the way and blocked
the fence.  So we began throwing pages, about 50 double-sided sheets
at a time, over their heads and over the fence.  This had the effect
of scattering them more widely on the other side.  I hope whoever had
to pick up all those pieces of paper is aware whose administration
destroyed the right to overtime pay, and I hope they read some of the
comments.  I read thousands of them.  Many were angry.  Many were
polite.  Most were passionate and pleading.  Some were concise: "Iraq
was our first mistake; don't let Iran be our last."  Others went on
for pages.  People poured their souls out trying to educate and reform
our President and Vice President.  Instead they ended up decorating
the White House lawn.



Here's what the Associated Press had to say about this event:



"Activist Cindy Sheehan led about 50 protesters to a White House gate
Wednesday to deliver anti-war petitions she said were signed by 80,000
Americans.  The California woman, whose son was killed in Iraq more
than two years ago, joined the protesters in hailing the outcome of
Tuesday's elections and chanting 'Stop the War' outside the White
House gate.

"'They have to take (the petitions); it's our First Amendment right,'
said Sheehan, who waited about 15 minutes at the gate with other
protesters before tossing the petitions over the fence. 'It was taking
too long for them to decide whether to accept them or not, so we just
delivered them.'…

"…Wednesday's protest came as Republicans lost control of the House
and the White House announced the resignation of Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld.  'He's being offered as a sacrificial lamb,' said
Sheehan, adding that she would not stop protesting until American
forces are out of Iraq…

"…Sheehan and other protesters said the outcome of Tuesday's House
race - and the gains in the Senate - indicated that Americans are
questioning the costs of U.S. military actions in both Iraq and
Afghanistan.  The petitions tossed over the White House fence were
presented as an open letter to Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney,
opposing use of military force to resolve the dispute over Iran's
nuclear program.

'Iran does not possess nuclear weapons, just as Iraq did not possess
nuclear weapons,' the petitions said.  A U.S. Park Police spokesman
said officers moved the protesters away from gates near Secret Service
guard stations, but there were no arrests."



If you have not yet signed the petition, you still can at

http://www.dontattackiran.org



You can also sign one addressed to Congress (which might even listen to you) at

http://www.peace-action.org/Iranpetition.html



Late Wednesday afternoon Cindy decided to lead a sit-in right in front
of the White House, and then – finally -- the Park Service arrested
her.  The Associated Press changed the lede to its article to read as
follows:



"Activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested Wednesday as she led about 50
protesters to a White House gate to deliver anti-war petitions."



Not quite accurate.  The petitions had been delivered several hours
before the arrest.  But what the heck, it probably got more editors to
pick up the story.  Thanks, again, Cindy!


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