For Immediate Release: March 15, 2006
Contact: Hany Khalil (212) 868-5545, (718) 637-7351 mobile

United for Peace and Justice Coordinating
Nationwide Week of Protest
Marking Three Year Anniversary of Iraq War, March 15-22

500+ Anti-war Actions Planned Across the U.S.

Marking three years since the U.S.-led bombing and invasion of Iraq began, peace groups across the United States are holding anti-war actions March 15-22. United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ), the nation’s largest anti-war coalition, is coordinating the local events as part of a nationwide week of action to end the Iraq war.

With more than 500 events planned in all 50 states, the anti-war movement will take to the streets to send a clear message to Congress and the White House: After three years of a failed policy, the Iraq war must end. It’s time to bring all the troops home.

According to a CBS poll released Monday (3/13/06), 67% of the U.S. public thinks the Iraq war has not made the U.S. safer, and 59% wants to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq. The White House continues to ignore the majority opposition to the war, which has already cost the lives of more than 2,300 U.S. troops and tens of thousands of Iraqis. After three years of war, Iraq is wracked by violence and threatened with the prospect of civil war, Iraqi civilians are suffering from a lack of basic services, including electricity and clean water, and women’s rights are being eroded.

“How many more people need to die before the U.S. government changes course? We’ve already spent $250 billion on the war, but things in Iraq keep getting worse. Instead of approving another $72 billion for war, Congress should be figuring out how much money will be needed to bring our troops home now and take care of them when they get here,” said Leslie Cagan, UFPJ National Coordinator.

The week of local actions will include protests outside Congressional offices, peace marches and rallies, interfaith services, candlelight vigils, and nonviolent civil disobedience. From Tucson, AZ, to Boise, ID, to Fayetteville, NC, to Buffalo, NY, communities will call for an immediate end to the war in Iraq.

During the week of action, veterans and military families will unite their call for peace with hurricane survivors' call for justice on a five-day march and caravan from Mobile to New Orleans. Four Latino veterans and military families have begun a 241-mile march for peace from Tijuana, Mexico, to San Francisco. Other highlights of the week include: a National Day of Local Media Protest on Wednesday, March 15; a National Day of Youth and Student Action Against the War on Thursday, March 16; Local Actions to Keep the Pressure on Congress on Monday, March 20; and a Global Call for Nonviolent Resistance to End the U.S.-Led Occupation of Iraq on Monday, March 20. For a full list of U.S. and international actions, visit http://www.unitedforpeace.org.

Spokespeople for United for Peace and Justice and UFPJ member groups Veterans for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and Guerrero Azteca Project are available for comment.

United for Peace and Justice is the largest U.S. peace and justice coalition with more than 1,400 member groups under its umbrella. Since its founding in October 2002, UFPJ has spurred hundreds of protests and rallies around the country, including the largest demonstrations against the Iraq war.