Monday - August 15 - Solidarity with Cindy Sheehan

Cindy Sheehan is camped out in the hot desert sun, speaking out about the occupations of Iraq and Palestine and demanding answers from the criminal regime that killed her son along with more than 1800 other soldiers and more than 100,000 Iraqi people. She has vowed to stay at the roadside encampment, called Camp Casey, until she meets with the President or is arrested.

On Monday, August 15 antiwar activists, veterans, community organizers, and military families will gather in Union Square for a demonstration of solidarity with Cindy Sheehan. In New York City, we will gather in Union Square in Manhattan at 5:00 pm for a "Camp Casey - NYC." The Troops Out Now Coalition has called on local activists everywhere to demonstrate their solidarity with Cindy Sheehan on Monday

This will also be the day that the U.S.-appointed regime in Baghdad is scheduled to announce its new constitution, a reactionary document forced on the people of Iraq at gunpoint. August 15 is also the day that occupation forces are scheduled to withdraw from Gaza. This will be an excellent day, not only to stand in solidarity with Cindy Sheehan, but to echo her statement: "" I want him to tell me is 'just what was the noble cause Casey died for?’ Was it freedom and democracy? Bullshit! He died for oil. He died to make your friends richer. He died to expand American imperialism in the Middle East. We’re not freer here, thanks to your PATRIOT Act. Iraq is not free. You get America out of Iraq and Israel out of Palestine and you’ll stop the terrorism. There, I used the 'I’ word - imperialism, and now I’m going to use another 'I’ word - impeachment - because we cannot have these people pardoned. They need to be tried on war crimes and go to jail."

Update on Cindy Sheehan

Update- Dozens of protesters from across the country have joined Cindy Sheehan at Camp Casey, the roadside encampment where she waits to speak to President Bush about the war and about the death of her son.

President George W. Bush thought he could escape the rapidly deteriorating situation in Iraq by hiding out on his 1,600-acre Crawford, Texas, ranch for a five-week vacation. But the horrors of the war have followed him to his vacation hideaway.

Cindy Sheehan--whose 24-year old son, Spc. Casey Sheehan of Vacaville, Calif., was killed in Baghdad’s Sadr City on April 4, 2004--is determined to confront Bush. She said at a press conference today, "The election of Nov. 2 was not George Bush’s accountability moment. This is George Bush’s accountability moment, and I’m not leaving Crawford until we hold him accountable."

Camp Casey has grown to about 50 people, including other military families, veterans, and activists from all over the region, and there are predictions that numbers will swell to several thousand this weekend. Organizers are asking anyone who can to join them in Crawford, Texas.

Sheehan has vowed to stay in Texas, saying that there only three things that would prompt her to leave, she said: "a good meeting with the president, the end of August, or I get arrested."

Facing enormous public pressure, President Bush felt compelled to respond to Cindy Sheehan.

Support Cindy Sheehan:

1) Organize a local Solidarity event on Monday, August 15. Email us with details and we’ll help get the word out.

2) Call, fax, and email the White House and ask the staff there to contact the President on his ranch and ask him to meet with Cindy Sheehan.

Comments: 202-456-1111 Switchboard: 202-456-1414 FAX: 202-456-2461 E-Mail comments@whitehouse.gov

3) Sign the online petition

4) Join Cindy Sheehan in Texas

5) Get on the bus for September 24 to Shut the War Down! Download Flyers Donate to help with buses and organizing expenses

Troops Out Now