The Armed Forces Recruiting Station in Boyle Heights, a working class Latino neighborhood in east Los Angeles, is the largest recruiting center in the country. The center is located one mile from Roosevelt High School, whose 95% Latino student body has been heavily targeted for military recruiting.
On Monday, March 19, activists from American Friends Service Committee and the Los Angeles Catholic Worker, as well as students from Roosevelt High and East Los Angeles City College, will stage a vigil at the recruiting center beginning at 3 p.m., followed by a press conference and nonviolent civil disobedience to block the entrance of the center at 4:30 p.m.
This is an important opportunity for anyone interested in protesting the war in Iraq and the Pentagon's policy of targeting young people of color from poor and working class neighborhoods for military recruiting. The recruiting center is located at 1241 S. Soto Street between 8th Street and Short Street, just south of the 5-10-60 East L.A. freeway interchange.
Protests Around the US to Stop the US War on Iraq
Organizations such as the Declaration of Peace have called for nationwide nonviolent civil disobedience to stop the occupation of Iraq during the week of March 16th through 19th. "For four years, people across the United States have voted, lobbied, vigiled, and marched to end the US war in Iraq. Now -- as the war escalates even while a growing majority in the United States wants to see it end -- the time has come to visibly increase nationwide opposition to this policy by organizing and participating in dramatic nonviolent civil disobedience in cities and towns across the United States," says Declaration of Peace.
Between now and mid-March, groups across the US demand bringing the troops home. The Declaration of Peace is also working with Christian Peace Witness for Iraq where hundreds of religious activists may get arrested at the White House on Friday to witness for peace for Iraq. Building on these events, national and local organizations will organize nationwide nonviolent civil disobedience and other forms of peaceful resistance March 16-19. Preparing for these acts of conscience and resistance, groups will organize outreach to Congress, hold nonviolent action training, and develop plans for peaceful and determined action.
In Los Angeles, people will gather for die-ins and protests at US Army recruiting centers on Monday, March 19th at 4:30 pm at Soto & Short in East LA/Boyle Heights (Plaza Del Sol), and different times throughout the city. This action, and others, will commemorate the 4th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. Roosevelt HS studemts will join in a march and rally at Plaza Del Sol. Code Pink will Join UCLA students in West LA, USC students will march at 12 noon, Pasadena Students will march from 12-1 PM, CSUN students will march 12 noon, Dorsey HS students will vigil on Rodeo & LA Brea at the Miltary Processing Center 4 PM, Whittier activists will vigil at the recruiting center at 6 PM.
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/02/26/18368971.php | http://la.indymedia.org/calendar/event_display_detail.php?event_id=5826&day=19&month=3&year=2007 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die-in | http://www.christianpeacewitness.org/
http://la.indymedia.org/news/2007/03/195127.php
Iraqi youth cope with violence, insecurity and militias under the U.S. occupation --
http://www.wiretapmag.org/warandpeace/43039/