President Bush’s almost certain veto of the Iraq war funding bill sent to him by the Congress means that the House and Senate will now have to consider the parameters of a new bill. Now is the time to make sure every member of Congress hears from his or her constituents: Congress must not cave in to pressure from the White House. More specifically, they need to send a bill that would require any additional funds to only be used for the safe and speedy withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq.

There are many ways to send a message to your members of Congress: letters, phone calls, lobbying visits, letters to the editors of your local papers, etc. In addition, your message can be "delivered" through a visible, public activity.

Here are several ideas for public activities YOU can organize. None of these require massive numbers of people, although it’s always good to have as many people as possible participating. All of these can be organized by you, even if you have never done something like this before!

1) Be a presence in front of the office of your Congressional representative and/or senators. This can take various forms:

• stand silently with signs near the door to their office, or the door of the building their office is in;

• if you have enough people, walk in a picket line on the sidewalk near the office;

• set up a table near the entrance to the office so you can hand out flyers, gather signatures on a petition, etc.;

• hand out leaflets (like the People's Emergency Funding Bill) to people passing by, and urge them to fax them to your members of Congress.

2) Hold a congressional call-a-thon. Set up tables in public locations with volunteers and cellphones for people to call senators and congressional representatives. ("The Call's On Us!") Sample flyers are available from Brooklyn Parents for Peace. By being on the streets with signs and cell-phones, you can generate more of a buzz and possible press coverage. Try to get some prominent folks out on the streets making phone calls.

3) Vigil or picket at a busy intersection, or some other area that has a lot of pedestrian traffic. That will allow you to hand out leaflets and/or talk to people. This can be a busy downtown location, a transportation hub, a town square, a central shopping area, or some other location where many people will see you.

4) Hang banners from a traffic overpass. Find a bridge or footpath that crosses over a major traffic thoroughfare. During the busiest times (most likely the morning or evening rush hours), stand on the bridge and hang a banner that is easy to read and has a clear message. You might want to stand with the banner, or you might want to attach it, if that’s possible. You can use an old sheet to make a banner or you can use large cardboard or poster board to make signs. (If you do this, be sure to not block traffic, unless you are prepared to risk arrest. Laws and other regulations will vary from place to place, so you might want to try to check this out in advance.)

5) Put together a candlelight vigil for the early evening, as the sun is setting. Again, try to do this in a location where many people will see you. Or you might select a location that has important symbolic meaning in your community. Be sure to bring candles and/or flashlights or glow sticks -- in case people show up without their own.

A couple things to keep in mind:

• be sure to hold signs or banners that send a clear message (e.g., Bring all U.S. troops home now! Fund only a safe and complete withdrawal of our troops -- not more war!);

• plan to be there for at least one hour and do this at the time you think you’ll be seen by the greatest number of people.

Organizing Tips

1. As soon as you decide on your activity, write up a brief description of what you’ll be doing and the details: date, time, location. Send it to your personal email contacts.

2. Put together a list of 5 to 10 people you think might want to help out -- it can even be as few as 2 or 3 people. Call them and see if they agree with your plan and then ask them to help get the word out. Be sure they get a copy of the email message you put out so they can also send it to their contacts.

3. In addition to sending email messages, it is vital to call people on the phone. There is nothing quite like direct, personal contact. Start with the people you think would be most likely to join you -- and then ask them to call a few others.

4. If there is a community or campus radio station that you think might announce your activity, give them a call. Find out what they need from you in order to make the announcement, and ask if you can come on the air yourself!

5. Depending on where you want to have your activity, you might want to check with a lawyer to see if any permits are required. If you don’t know a lawyer that can help you out, contact the local or statewide office of the American Civil Liberties Union -- they usually know what you need to do, if anything.

6. Make sure to bring several signs or banners. People might show up without their own, so it would be great to have something ready for them to carry. Your message should be short and clear -- make the signs as readable as possible!

7. Whatever your plans are, be sure to call some of the local media outlets in your area and invite them to the activity. Be prepared to talk to any reporters that might show up -- and don’t be afraid of them! Just speak from the heart. Explain why you are out there and why this issue is important to you.

8. Be sure to post whatever you are doing on the calendar of activities on the UFPJ website. This will make it possible for others in your area who might be looking for activities to learn about what you’ve planned -- and join you!