On the Ground @ DNC, RNC

[Jasonik]

Protesters: We're being treated like prisoners
4 hours ago
DENVER (AP) — A small group of protesters has marched to the demonstration zone outside the Democratic National Convention, complaining they are being treated like political prisoners.
A contingent from the protest group Recreate 68 Alliance went to the fenced-off zone on Monday, even though they had vowed earlier they would never return.
Protesters derisively call the 47,000-square foot zone the "Freedom Cage." It's separated from the parking lot around the convention hall by metal fences atop concrete barriers.
It's about 700 feet from the Pepsi Center, where the delegates will gather starting Monday night.
Recreate 68 organizer Mark Cohen says the city and the Secret Service are treating demonstrators "like political prisoners, like pariahs."

*****



Sniper tower overlooking "Freedom Cage?"

[Jasonik]

Anti-war protest tame affair as Democrats gather

Mike Blanchfield , Canwest News Service
Published: Sunday, August 24, 2008
DENVER - Propping up a large banner beneath the steps of the Colorado State Capitol dome, 25-year-old Weston Wilson was clearly underwhelmed with the anti-war protest taking shape around him.

"I'm a little bummed out," the Denver English major and seasonal landscaper said Sunday morning, estimating his fellow anti-Iraq war marchers at no more than 700.

Wilson was well aware of the hype that preceded this day: one group, calling itself Re-create 68, was hoping for a turnout of 10,000 to 20,000 and was advocating for a re-creation of the infamous 1968 Chicago Democratic convention when protesters battled police for more than a week.

"I think maybe they're romanticizing the size and urgency of the movement. I don't think there's going to be any big clashes but if there is, I'm dropping my sign and running," said Wilson.

A few blocks away, 29-year-old Brian Wise stood on a small square as a New Country version of 'God Bless America' blared from loudspeakers. "It seems the success in Iraq has hurt their numbers and their resolve to make the unpatriotic demonstrations that they've been making," observed Wise, the executive director of a military support group called Families United.

On the eve of the Democratic National Convention, those two solitudes offered a vignette of America's ambivalence towards its five-year-old war in Iraq. The protesters, some of them Vietnam-era peaceniks, lamented that their numbers were so small, while the pro-military group were also haunted by their lingering sadness over friends killed in Iraq, and the need to bring those still fighting home one day, but in victory.

Neither side appeared confident that this week's star attraction, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, had the answers their country needed to move forward.

The protest unfolded peacefully, bowed by the overwhelming show of force by black-clad, heavily armed police, many in black riot gear, with blue plastic handcuffs dangling, amid the never-ending whir of low circling helicopters across Denver's blue, sun-scorched skies.


Policemen divide pro and anti-war activists taking
part in a protest march to the Pepsi Center, site of the
Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado August 24, 2008.
Reuters/Damir Sagolj

After a morning of speeches that included Texan Cindy Sheehan, the staunch critic of the Iraq invasion that claimed her son's life, the protesters marched through downtown, past the small square where Wise and his pro-military group were set up.

They traded taunts - "war machine, tear it down!" and "let the men do their mission" - but never physically crossed paths.

The marchers were allowed to reach the gates of Pepsi Arena, the convention site, before they peacefully moved on.

They one thing they managed to do was effectively bar several hundred of the 15,000 journalists in Denver from the convention site because the Secret Service closed the main entry point.

The $50 million in federal grants, the co-ordination of some 60 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, not to mention the $1.2 million overtime bill the Denver police department was looking at shelling out, appeared to have been money well spent.

For many marchers, it was a bitter pill to swallow.

As he walked, 68-year-old Don Swall, a gray and suntanned Northern Californian, couldn't hide his discouragement as he reflected on the changes he has witnessed since he began protesting the Vietnam War.

"The main thing is there is no draft. That was one of the main things that caused the end of the Vietnam War. When middle class and upper class saw their kids not being able to avoid the draft, it was not just poor minority kids going to get their balls blown off," Swall said.

"Here it's safe. They're recruiting poor guys from Appalachia and minorities and let them go get killed."

Still, Swall said he was headed to St. Paul, Minn. next week to continue his protest at the Republican National Convention because, "it's my country God damn it."

Over at the pro-military gathering, Bob Calvert, 61, said the violence and uncertainty of the Vietnam era, and the Cold War, were nothing compared with the threats his country's soldiers now face.

"I don't think the anti-war movement is as big as it is then. The difference is we have a war on terrorism," he said. "How do you fight somebody that's going to stand in line with a bomb belt around their stomach?"

As the last of the marchers filed past him, Wise reflected on his best friends growing up in Clovis, Calif., brothers Nathan and Jared Hubbard who were both killed in Iraq.

"The biggest proponents of peace are our soldiers, airmen and marines. They want to come home as soon as possible as soon as they finish their job," he said.

"They're having success in Iraq, and we can't wait for them to come home."


© Canwest News Service 2008

[Jasonik]

Part of Pepsi Center flooded by sprinkler system

posted by: Sara Gandy 8 hrs ago
DENVER - A sprinkler system partially flooded part of the Pepsi Center Monday morning.

The Denver Fire Department, which has a crew stationed at the center all week, was able to respond quickly before 5 a.m. when the sprinkler went off.

The sprinkler was located on the club level in a skybox which had recently been renovated to host a news crew. It appears the skybox belongs to Fox. [LOL!!]

After going off, the sprinkler released 50 to 100 gallons of water per minute and 9NEWS crews estimate it was on for around 5 minutes.



The cause of the sprinkler is under investigation but early reports indicate it was likely bumped or the heat sensor may have been affected by equipment in the room.

Water leaked down to the first level concourse and crews are mopping up that area. A significant amount of water filled the club level and DFD used shop vacuums to remove the excess water.

All of the equipment in the skybox had to be removed quickly due to the possible electrical issues. No one was injured.

[Jasonik]

City reopens roads due to lack of protestor attendance

posted by: Sara Gandy reported by: Chris Vanderveen updated by: Jeffrey Wolf 3 hrs ago
DENVER – The city of Denver reopened some of the closed roads in downtown Denver on Monday because of lack of participation and low attendance in a protest parade.

The city reopened westbound Colfax Avenue from Bannock Street to Speer Boulevard and southbound Speer Boulevard from Arapahoe Street to Colfax.

The city says these roads will stay open if the scheduled parades can be safely accommodated.

The roads were originally supposed to reopen at 3 p.m. on Monday after being closed at 11 a.m., but the city reopened them by noon instead.

A few hundred protestors did show up for a protest during the lunch hour on Monday. They walked from Civic Center Park to the U.S. Courthouse at 19th and Stout on Monday much to the bewilderment of lunch goers on the 16th Street Mall.

Chanting "No Justice, No Peace!" the group caused a few minor traffic delays, but no major issues were seen.

The group is seeking more attention of political prisoners in the United States as well as abroad.

Many people eating lunch along the 16th Street Mall were clearly caught off-guard by the protest. Many simply chose to wait it out by snapping a few pictures with their cell phone cameras.

[lofter1]

It seems that only PBS is actually showing the whole of the convention, rather than promoting Talking Heads and selling advertisements as are the cable & network gangs.

[ablarc]

A sprinkler system partially flooded part of the Pepsi Center Monday morning.

After going off, the sprinkler released 50 to 100 gallons of water per minute and 9NEWS crews estimate it was on for around 5 minutes.

The cause of the sprinkler is under investigation but early reports indicate it was likely bumped or the heat sensor may have been affected by equipment in the room.

Water leaked down to the first level concourse and crews are mopping up that area. A significant amount of water filled the club level and DFD used shop vacuums to remove the excess water.

All of the equipment in the skybox had to be removed quickly due to the possible electrical issues. No one was injured.

Expect to see more such events since the latest edition of the building code requires sprinklers in so many more buildings. Like car alarms, they go often go off by themselves, but the consequences are more serious.

The sprinkler companies are very happy.

[Jasonik]

Inside the DNC Media Swag Bag



Apart from the actual work of adopting a platform and officially selecting a nominee to run for president, party conventions are more or less one big advertisement, so reporters are treated to an endless parade of parties, meals, and goodie bags.

Pictured above is the contents of this year's DNC media bag. It's actually pretty subdued compared to gift bags seen at similar events. Inside a canvas bag emblazoned with AT&T and Coca-Cola are the following items: an official Denver 2008 reusable water bottle from Visa, two samples of vitamin water from Joint Juice, a bottle of Walgreen's brand ibuprofen and minipack of Walgreen's brand facial tissue, a bottle of hand sanitizer from the Hogan & Hartson law firm, a tube of chapstick from Blue Cross Blue Shield, a keychain compass from the Ford Escape Hybrid, a lapel pin from the American Wind Energy Association, a pack of breath mints from ProLogis, magnetic poetry from SEIU, a pocket emergency FM radio from ProtectingAmerica.org, a notebook from Staples, a gift card for free ringtones from AT&T, a pack of breath mints from UPS, some Post-It Notes, a guide of hiking and biking trails from the city of Denver, several straight up ads on cardstock for things like a local Denver shopping mall and events happening during the convention, and pens from movearoo.com, the Laborers’ International Union of North America, and the Anadarko Petroleum Corporation.

Are reporters actually influenced by the swag they receive at events like these? Probably not directly. What these companies do count on, however, is that reporters will be fanned out across the convention for the next week using these products. Maybe they'll even be curious enough to find out more about the company that sponsored them.

DCist editor Sommer Mathis.

[Jasonik]

As convention begins, no protesters in 'Freedom Cage'

Across town from convention, police clash with protesters

Nick Juliano
Published: Monday August 25, 2008
DENVER -- Fears of confrontation between police and protesters outside the Democratic National Convention seem to have been overblown. As Democrats gathered for their convention's first night at the Pepsi Center, there were no protesters to be seen in the fenced in free speech zone a few hundred yards away.

Dubbed the "freedom cage" by activists, the police-sanctioned protest area seems to have been largely abandoned. Across town though, hundreds of protesters clashed with police.

"I don't think anyone would come here because it's kind of ridiculous," said William Aanstoos, a 19-year-old from Asheville, NC, who came to Denver to participate in the protests. He said other events were happening elsewhere in the city.

Later Monday night, protesters were pepper sprayed and arrested in front of the Denver City and County Building, about 1.5 miles from the Pepsi Center. It's believed to be the first time police used any kind of force against protesters.

Authorities say police were trying to disperse a crowd of about 300 that had disrupted traffic. Police have led at least two people away as the crowd chanted "Let them go!"

Some of the protesters threw bags containing a colored liquid at police.

Police Lt. Ron Saunier says he did not immediately know whether there had been arrests.

He said, "The situation is still very fluid and active."

On Sunday, the day before the convention's start, an anti-war protest snaked past the Pepsi Center, but by Monday the security perimeter had been expanded so that no one without a credential could get within two city blocks of the convention site.

The "freedom cage" was just outside the security perimeter on the southwest corner of the Pepsi Center Complex, but there was no entrance to the perimeter anywhere near the protest zone. Even if protesters had bothered to show up, it's unlikely any Democratic delegates or reporters would have seen them.

A police officer stationed near the protest zone told RAW STORY that members of the anti-war group Code Pink had staged a demonstration there earlier Monday, but that it had been mostly empty the rest of the day. Around 5 p.m. local time, there were a few scattered reporters but no protests.

An empty microphone was set up in one corner of the fenced in parking lot with a sign up sheet for speakers. Some pranksters apparently filled out most of the sheet with mock entries. For example, "MLK 'I have a dream, that one day, all free speech will be done in cages.'"



The ACLU had expressed concern that police would be over-zealous in cracking down on protesters. Denver police had previously been told to be on high alert for "stockpiles" of such innocuous items as maps and bicycles. A spokesman for the organization said earlier Monday night, before the arrests across town, that things had been pretty "quiet."

The police had been certainly making their presence known throughout the weekend. Hundreds of officers were deployed throughout the city on foot, bike and horseback. Police SUVs also were driving through downtown Denver Sunday and Monday with up to a dozen officers each riding on platforms attached to the sides of the vehicles. There was a constant whir of helicopters overhead throughout the city during the convention.

Most of the officers assigned to the empty protest zone were milling around looking bored Monday evening. Aanstoos, who spoke to RAW STORY in the abandoned "freedom cage" said most of his encounters with police officers had been friendly.

[ablarc]

Boring outside the Convention, and boring inside; Michelle Obama and her brother just bored me into abandoning the TV to do some posting.

[NYatKNIGHT]

I thought they did great. Above average for a convention speech.

[ZippyTheChimp]

Michelle Obama and her brother just bored me into abandoning the TV to do some posting.

Calculated.

Think about what they are attempting to portray.

[Fabrizio]

In her speech, I was surprised she didn't announce what she would do as First Lady... what causes or work she would devote herself to. I think it would have made her pitch a lot more interesting.

------------------

(I'm glad that Midtownguy has been unbanned... now I can go back to posting)

[Jasonik]

100 protesters taken to temporary center


Denver police shoot pepper spray at a group gathered in downtown Denver Monday night. Police say they ordered the
group to disperse before firing the spray.
(Noah Rabinowitz, The Denver Post)

By The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 08/26/2008 09:31:30 AM MDT

About 100 protesters were being processed early today at Denver's temporary processing center in a former warehouse.

Depending on their charges, they should be processed by 4 a.m. or 5 a.m., said Capt. Frank Gale of the Denver Sheriff's Office.

"It's working exactly the way it is supposed to do," Gale said of the facility.
If the detainees have the resources, they could post bond, Gale said. Others could end up being taken back to the main jail.

About 7 p.m. Monday, riot police using pepper spray forced a couple of hundred protesters out of Civic Center and then blocked them before they could reach the 16th Street Mall.

Police surrounded the protesters along 15th Street between Court Street and Cleveland Place and then moved up reinforcements, including at least two armored vehicles.

Lynn Kimbrough, a spokeswoman for the convention's Joint Information Center, said one officer fired pepper spray during the initial confrontation near the City and County Building and one officer fire pepper spray on 15th Street. She also said one officer fired pepper balls in once instance, but wasn't sure of the timing.

She said an officer fired the first spray when several of the protesters charged toward the police line, which had been set up to protect the roadway and prevent any movement toward the pedestrian mall.

Police processed detainees until nearly 11 p.m. using tables set up along Cleveland and loading the detainees onto sheriff's buses for transport to the center.

Larry Hales with the activist group Recreate 68 said his group did nothing wrong Monday and had a permit for the Civic Center gathering when police closed in and created havoc.

Hales said that if they are not released by the morning, the activists will protest outside the police headquarters.

"I'm a little in shock," said Joey-Kenzie, 21, of Denver, after spending about 90 minutes in the crowd of people pinned in by officers in SWAT gear.
Kenzie said she wanted to leave but police had surrounded the group and there was no way out.

"At one point we didn't know what we were going to do, we were going to get arrested or maced," said the recent Community College of Denver graduate.

Kenzie said police never asked for her identification.


Police subdue and arrest a protester near the City and County Building. Approximately 100 protesters were involved in
the demonstration, which was an attempt by Unconventional Denver to disrupt what it called a capitalist fundraising orgy.
(Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)

"I haven't been able to vote for a president yet, but this was an epiphany," she said. "My freedom of speech was suppressed."

Protesters and police had originally lined up across from one another in front of City and County Building about 7 p.m., the police wearing their full riot gear and holding batons, chanting "move back, move back."

Police used pepper spray before the mass of marchers moved back across the park and were cut off by police behind the Sheraton Hotel.


Police in riot gear surround protesters on 15th Street near Civic Center park in downtown Denver on Monday night.
This is not America. This is what a police state looks like. You re worried about Beijing? This is repression, one activist shouted.
(Jason Halley, Special to The Denver Post)

One protester said police had used the spray "like a supersoaker" in front of the City and County Building. Pepper spray was used again on 15th Street.

A police spokesman said that they had massed their forces in the park based on intelligence about the protesters' actions.

One demonstrator, who would not give his name, said the confrontation began when "a bunch of us were supposed to have a direct action march."

Paralyzed anti-war activist Ron Kovic, who was not part of the march, had talked to protesters on the mall outside of the police parimeter."I came out here for my concern for you," Kovic told them. "We're not going to let them stop you. We're not going to let them intimidate you. But we are emphasizing peace and nonviolence. We don't want trouble in Denver tonight."

Curiousity seekers stood outside the police cordon, outnumbering the marchers.


At right, Amanda Hubbard rinses out her eyes after being hit with pepper spray.
(Jeff Gritchen, Special to The Denver Post)

Protestors told reporters they were a mix of Tent State participants and those identifying themselves as anti-capitalist, anti-fascist, anti-war individuals.

The group split, with officers surrounding and detaining the group on 15th Street, while others were pushed back by police toward Civic Center. Once the police organized their lines, the distance widened.

Police officials asked RTD to shut the 16th Street Mall bus shuttle service shortly after 7 p.m., said RTD spokesman Scott Reed. The mall service resumed around 9:30 p.m.

Sam Harper, 36, of Eufaula, Okla., said he was here to protest the war, but he wasn't prepared to be injured.

"When I saw the tear gas, I split. I don't need to get beat down," Harper said.

The detained grouped chanted in unison: "Who screams? We scream."

Some in the crowd outside the police lines, which included onlookers and media, chanted: "Cops here. Bombs there. U.S. out of everywhere."

"Speech is free. Let them be."

"Show me what the First Amendment looks like."

"Let them go."

"Watch out! They're gearing up," some in the crowd shouted, as officers donned gas masks and other protective equipment.

A girl warned anyone with contact lenses to get out of the area.

"The spray will fuse your contact lenses to your eyeballs," she said.

A protester named Timmy said he had slipped out of his all-black outfit and then slipped outside the police cordon.

"We want freedom from oppression," he said. "We want direct democracy where communities are allowed to make decisions based on our own abilities. It takes bottom-up organizing to make change; it doesn't take a leader. We want cooperations, not capitalism."

Meanwhile, in Skyline Park near 18th and Arapahoe, about a dozen people sat surrounded by police, apparently in custody.

Denver Post Staff Writers Kieran Nicholson, Jeff Lieb, John Ingold, Electa Draper, Karen Auge and Jeremy P. Meyer contributed to this report.

*****

Note, (agent provocateur?) "Timmy" gives the incomprehensible ideology quote...

The police state what happened:

*****

Rocks, other potential weapons helped spark police action

By Troy Turner
Media News Group
Article Last Updated: 08/26/2008 09:56:22 AM MDT

Approximately 100 people arrested in Monday night's protests near Civic Center spent the night getting processed through the criminal justice system.

Most face charges of obstruction of streets or public passageways, interference and disobedience to a lawful order.

In a police update this morning, more details were released about how the skirmish started.

Most of the arrests came after police moved early to control a march by the protest group Unconventional Denver, which had promised to disrupt activities tied to the Democratic National Convention.

Those arrested are still being processed this morning through the temporary processing facility at 3833 Steele St. They are either being released at the Denver County Jail if they post bond, or they are being taken for a first appearance in Denver County Court if they do not post bond, according to a police statement released early today.

"Denver police made limited use of pepper spray Monday night when a protest crowd that had gathered near Civic Center Park refused requests to disperse and suddenly rushed a police safety line about 7:15 p.m." the statement said.

Police estimated the crowd at 300, although many onlookers and media also were on hand.

Among those arrested, many were observed "carrying rocks and other items that could be used to threaten public safety," the police report said. "In order to protect the public when the crowd surged forward, two officers deployed their pepper spray and one officer used a pepper ball device."

Pepper balls are similar to a paint ball, but contain the same material as pepper spray.

A more complete law enforcement update is expected later this morning.

[Ninjahedge]

I hope that picture of teh cops in riot gear, shoulder to shoulder, surrounding that small group of protestors gets out.

This is rediculous. Of all the things to protest, you would think that political venues would be the one place left that you do not need a GOVERNMENTAL PERMIT to do so!

I can understand the logistics, but still...


Oh, I also love it how there is always a protestor that "charges the line". Amazing how many times that happens.

The police should be there to quell any violence, not dispell the protestors themselves. We are starting to lose sight of that.

[Jasonik]

Iraq vets take to the streets to protest the war

Posted by Harry Esteve, The Oregonian August 26, 2008 12:51PM

DENVER-- A few dozen Iraq War vets, dressed in full camo gear, staged one of the more eye-catching demonstrations of the day outside the Colorado Convention Center, enacting what they said are everyday street scenes in the Middle East.

The group, representing Iraq Veterans Against the War, staged a series of simulated car stops, detainments, reaction to sniper fire and secure movement through an urban area.

"We're trying to bring a taste of what an occupied city feels like," said Army Spc. Garret Reppenhagen, one of the participants.

Reppenhagen was a sniper with the 1st Infantry Division who served at Baquaba, Iraq from Feb. 2004 to Feb. 2005, as well as a 9 month peace keeping tour in Kosovo.

"We're here mainly to show some of the stuff we experienced in Iraq," he said. Escorted by Aurora, Colo., police, the group performed its street theater for about half an hour, handing out leaflets along the way.

It wasn't a protest against Democrats or the party's presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, organizers said. It was a plea to end the war.

-- Harry Esteve; harryesteve@news.oregonian.com

*****

DNC: Vets Blitz Mall Lunch Hour with Anti-war Message

By Chris Casey
ccasey@greeleytribune.com


Members of Iraq Veterans Against the War clash with actors portraying Iraqi rioters during their street performance
of Operation First Casualty, a re-enactment of a military patrol in Iraq, on Tuesday in Denver. All of the soldiers
served in Iraq and are now members of the anti-war group.
Eric Bellamy

The usual business lunch crowd on the 16th Street mall dodged a group of U.S. Army veterans holding invisible guns and crouching against potential enemy fire.

Sometimes the 25-member group, outfitted in fatigues, would grab “Iraqi citizens” and push them up against building walls and hood their heads.

The group, Iraq Veterans Against the War, carried out the peaceful—though jarring, especially to Denverites trying to get to a lunch spot—demonstration during Tuesday’s noon hour in downtown Denver.

The roving simulation called "Operation First Casualty" covered several blocks on the western end of the mall and displayed how U.S. troops carry out dangerous duties in Iraqi war zones.

One exchange between the veterans went:

Sergeant: “We’re not shooting any innocents today!”

Enlisted troop: “They hate us here, Sarge!”

Another soldier yelled to a group of onlookers at Writer Square: “We’re bringing home to Denver what the occupation looks like.”

A group of about 25 police officers stood by and moved with the group as it performed skits on the city sidewalks. The police and "soldiers" never clashed.

Occasionally an RTD bus would stop along the mall and the soldiers would hop aboard, pivoting inside with an invisible rifle at their shoulder, and yell to the annoyance or amusement of riders that the bus was secure.

A man at the front of the simulations yelled to the crowd that the protesters were not actors but actual veterans of the war in Iraq.

He also yelled: “The first casualty of war is the truth. Bring the troops home now!”
Fliers passed out by the soldiers said the U.S. occupation is unwanted by most Iraqi people. It said, “In order to survive daily missions, soldiers are taught to use brutal, dehumanizing search and seizure tactics.”

Rosemary Rafferty, a downtown office worker, sat smoking a cigarette on a sidewalk bench while soldiers conducted a simulation — complete with frequent shouted expletives — around her.

“It’s a bit different” than the usual downtown lunch hour, she said through a chuckle. “It’s just crowded. If I could have taken vacation (during the Democratic National Convention) I would have.”

She declined to take fliers being handed out by the protesters. But she wasn’t bothered by the in-your-face simulation.

“Everybody’s got their opinions, everybody’s got their rights,” said Rafferty, a Democrat. “And peaceful is good.”

As the commotion moved off to the next block, Rafferty breathed a sigh of relief that she could start enjoying her lunch hour.

“But again they have a point,” she said. “I have to agree. I don’t believe in war.”

*****

On Monday, IVAW members delivered a letter to Senator Obama calling on him to support IVAW's three main goals.

August 25, 2008
Senator Barack Obama
C/O Democratic National Convention Committee
1560 Broadway
Denver, CO 80202

Senator Obama,

In your campaign for the Presidency of the United States of America, you have clearly presented yourself as the anti-war candidate, dedicated to change in trying times. Senator Obama, millions of Americans are looking to you to restore our country’s good name and reputation around the world, beginning with righting the wrongs of the war-driven Bush administration.

Iraq Veterans Against the War is the only organization consisting of active duty service members and veterans of the Global War On Terror committed to ending the occupation of Iraq. We believe that a responsible withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq should include:

1. The immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces from Iraq.
2. Full and adequate health care and benefits to all returning service members and veterans.
3. Reparations made to the Iraqi people for the destruction caused by the U.S. war and occupation.

Senator Obama, we realize that a man in your position has a very tedious schedule during the Democratic National Convention. However, we feel that a Presidential candidate dedicated to an anti-war platform should have no objections to the goals of our organization. Indeed, Senator Obama, in these ominous times, you symbolize the hope for a better America.

Therefore, we request at this time that you endorse the three tenets of Iraq Veterans Against the War if you so wish to represent the anti-war constituency of our country.

Further, in the spirit of grassroots democracy that you praise as the means of change in American society, we will be marching non-violently on Wednesday, August 27. Our march will hold accountable the Democratic Party for their initial and continued support for the illegal occupation of Iraq. We urge you to demonstrate your commitment to change by working with veterans and service members dedicated to ending the occupation of Iraq.

We will await your response to our proposal until 3:00 PM Wednesday, August 27.

Mobilized for Peace,
Iraq Veterans Against the War