Military

11.11.11 Occupy Chicago Stands with Anti-War Vets on Veterans Day


CHICAGO–(ENEWSPF)–November 9, 2011.  This Veteran’s Day, Friday, November 11, Occupy Chicago will stand in solidarity with advocacy groups Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), and Veterans for Peace. The coalition will gather at the Vietnam Veteran Memorial, located at E. Wacker and N. Wabash at 11am. On their website (ivaw.org), IVAW says the coalition is coming together to honor the warrior, not the war, and to memorialize the trauma caused by war in everyday America. The group will march to Occupy Chicago headquarters at 12pm.
 
“Veterans are the 99%, representing the people who have fought, been injured, and died in foreign lands to protect the interests of the 1%. This Veterans Day, we stand together to speak out against immoral, illegal military action, war profiteering, and economic exploitation,” said Jeffrey Marker of Occupy Chicago. 

Later in the day, from 3-4:30pm at Jackson and LaSalle, Occupy Chicago hosts, “Resisting Military Recruitment into U.S. Wars for the 1% – On Veterans Day and Everyday,” presented by We Are Not Your Soldiers (wearenotyoursoldiers.org). The group works to drive military recruiters off high school and college campuses, and to expose the realities of war to those facing recruitment. They will share firsthand accounts of wartime experiences, and will make the connection between US military actions, and the politicians and corporations that profit from them.
 
“The more Occupy Chicago teach-ins I attend, the more I see how mislead and misinformed I’ve been by the media, and other mouthpieces of the 1%. This eye opening discussion will galvanize you to stand in solidarity with veterans, and fight for an end to the horrors of war,” said Amy Gurlind, a student who has been participating gin Occupy Chicago for 20 days.

Following the teach-in, at 5:45pm, Occupy Chicago participants, veterans, and people from all walks of life will silently return to Vietnam Veteran Memorial for a candlelit vigil. At 7pm, they will march in silence to Occupy Chicago’s General Assembly at Michigan and Congress.
 
For more information about Occupy Chicago, see www.OccupyChi.org, follow on Twitter @OccupyChicago or #OccupyChi, or see Facebook.com/OccupyChicago

For more on Iraq Veterans Against The War, see IVAW.org.
For more on Vietnam Veterans Against the War, see VVAW.org
For more on Veterans for Peace, see VeteransForPeace.org
For more on We Are Not Your Soldier, see WeAreNotYourSoldiers.org

Friday, November 11, 2011
11am: Veteran’s Ceremony at Vietnam Veterans Memorial (E. Wacker and N. Wabash)
12pm: March to Occupy Chicago (Jackson and LaSalle)
3-4:30pm: We Are Not Soldiers discussion, (Jackson and LaSalle)
5:45pm: Depart Occupy Chicago Headquarters for Silent Candlelit Vigil at Vietnam Veteran Memorial (E. Wacker and N. Wabash)
7pm: Silent March to Occupy Chicago’s General Assembly (Michigan and Congress)

Source: www.occupychi.org  


ARCHIVES