About Us

We are a new coalition of antiwar organizations, peace and justice advocates, and citizens of conscience who challenge our elected leaders to end the US wars of aggression in Afghanistan and Iraq and bring our troops home.

Our Purpose

We call for active, non-violent non-cooperation with US war policy. As we vigorously oppose a military escalation in Afghanistan, we encourage mass political mobilization and high-profile antiwar political actions across the country. As America continues to commit war crimes for the profit of the few and at the expense of the many, we engage and energize our fellow citizens to become disablers of war party mentality. We reject defeatist thinking and futile rationales by promoting effective war protest. We break cycles of hopelessness by engaging in immediate and direct actions, consistent with our commitment to non-violence. We believe our actions will produce the best methods for securing peace in our country and the world, and we direct our allegiance to that end.

Our Demands


Our Supporters Are Associated With:


Add your organization, uniting in opposition to these wars.

Join us to end US wars, one person at a time

December 12th Anti-Escalation Rally: Archive

Thanks to everyone who joined us for this momentous rally!

Videos, news reports, commentary...

 
 
 
 
4prezcand  MilitaryFamilies
PHOTO (above). Historic occasion: Four former US
presidential candidates unite to oppose President
Obama's war. (L to R: Dennis Kucinich, Ralph Nader,
Cynthia McKinney, Mike Gravel. With Laurie Dobson,
director of End Us Wars.)

MORE VIDEOS HERE: David Swanson, Kathy Kelly, Gael Murphy, Brian Becker, Chris Hedges (thanks to William Hughes)
VIMEO (59:11): At White House Rally: Activists Demand "End-the-U.S.-Wars!" (thanks to William Hughes)
VIDEOS: Lynne Williams, David Zirin, Dr. Michael Knox, Webster Tarpley, Marian Douglas-Ungaro (thanks to maurice11)
VIDEO: Coy McKinney reads letter from Iraq War Veteran Rodney Watson
VIDEO: Ron Fisher on Proposed Plan to End Iraq and Afghanistan Wars/Occupations. (More at WeThePeopleNow.org)
CONTINUOUS RECORDING OF RALLY ON USTREAM (Thanks to education4peace):
—Part 1 of 3 (83:52)
—Part 2 of 3 (93:01)
—Part 3 of 3 (81:55)

News Reports & Editorials

Voice of America (VOA) News US Protesters Seek New Anti-War Movement
Washington Times Left rankled over Obama war remarks
OpEdNews Anti-War Movement Wakes Up From Obama-Induced Slumber
Los Angeles Times Antiwar movement fighting burnout and awkwardness
American Spectator War Doves Protest Obama in Front of the White House
AfterDowning Street Wars or Jobs: Decide Now, by David Swanson
WJLA-TV 8 (ABC, Washington, DC) Protesters at White House Oppose Afghanistan War
WTOP Radio (103.9FM, Washington, DC) Anti-war protesters gather outside White House
Common Dreams Gravel's Lament: Fighting Another Dumb War, by Chris Hedges
This Can't Be Happening Protest? What Protest? American Corporate Media Don't See What They Don't Want to See, by David Lindorff

Blogs & Comments

truthdig Kucinich, Hedges, Nader Rally at the White House
OpEdNews Why the Silence on Escalation? by Josh Mitteldorf "This article is a request for comments, an informal survey."
Tikkun Daily Blog End U.S. Wars: Emergency Anti-Escalation Rally Dec. 12
Daily Kos Lefties Call for Alliance with Paulies Against War, by Sue4theBillofRights
Independent Political Report Ralph Nader: Dubya and Obama are "a Seamless Transition" on the War


Latest Press Advisory (PDF)  |  Help us spread the word!*

EMERGENCY ANTI-ESCALATION RALLY
Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009 • 11am-4pm • Washington DC

Latest flyer  | Press Release | Rally Guide |  facebookicon facebook group/event

Tell Obama & Congress: "NO, YOU CAN'T!"
No Escalation • End the Wars • Bring Our Troops Home

Lafayette Square | White House
Metro: Farragut West or Farragut North

Speakers: Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Rep. Cynthia McKinney, Ralph Nader, Sen. Mike Gravel, Kathy Kelly, Chris Hedges, David Swanson, Rev. Graylan Hagler, Gael Murphy, Brian Becker, Debra Sweet, Mathis Chiroux, Elaine Brower, Coy McKinney, Chioma Oruh, Lynne Williams, Hon. Betty Hall, Marian Douglas-Ungaro, Dr. Michael Knox, Ralph Lopez, David Zirin, Chris Towne, Cpt. Ron Fisher.
Plus: Statements from Rabbi Michael Lerner, Col. Ann Wright, Kevin Zeese, Dr. Stephen Zunes, Granny D (turning 100), Jared Ball, John Judge, Stephen Lendman, Kyle Galindez and Sarah-Jaine Szekeresh.
Please see Rally Guide for information on speakers.

Live Music: Jordan Page, Head-Roc, Emma's Revolution, Ka'Ba.


  

Under Obama-Pelosi-Reid, the US has already sent about 35,000 more troops into the Afghanistan graveyard of empires. Now, Obama has announced another round of re-enforcements—an Afghan surge of 30,000 additional GIs, thereby betraying his supporters on the left and ignoring the majority of Americans, 55% of whom disapprove of his handling of the war. Instead, Obama is taking the advice from the war party—from Petraeus, McChrystal, and Mullen. It's high time Obama, Pelosi, and Reid heard a clear message from a resurgent antiwar movement demanding no escalation and an immediate pullout of all US forces from Afghanistan and Iraq, including an immediate halt to Predator drone attacks and CIA operations in the region.

Come to the rally and let our united voices be heard!

Pre-Rally Meetup: "Rethink Afghanistan" Film & Discussion – Friday, Dec. 11, 8:00 PM, Busboys & Poets, 14th & V Sts. NW, DC. Admission FREE.
Please sign the filmmaker's Petition to Congress to reject any spending bill that would send more troops to Afghanistan. Goal: 100,000 signatures by Dec. 14 (75,000 now).

Latest flyer  | Press Release | Rally Guide |  facebookicon facebook group/event

MCVisa  We need your help! Thank you for whatever you can spare. (Tax-deductible)


End US Wars Director Laurie Dobson's Personal Appeal to Peace Leaders
*Update, December 7, 2009:

Dear Friends,

There has been great interest from the peace community regarding this upcoming rally, and response from many who wish to become involved in our outreach and media efforts. We have a guide for this on our Spread the Word page, to assist people in learning what they can do to conduct immediate "guerilla-style" media efforts.

The importance of this emergency rally cannot be overstated: we are the only national collective action against Obama's call for extended war in Afghanistan and beyond. As such, it is imperative that all those who can must gear up to answer this call for a massive outcry. We must come together to oppose this abominable war plan and we must do so now, not later.

We are counting on your help. If you are at all able to assist, the focus at this point is on outreach and media contacts. Please do what you can to get the word out. Please let us know what you are doing and where you are getting the message across.

Thank you for all you are doing – and are going to do this week, in order to make this rally a success! It takes every one of us to do this, and we count on you and on each other.

Peace,
Laurie Dobson

PS. For those with specific suggestions and leads, please reach us at this email and at the numbers listed at the top of this page.



Event Guide & Information

BRING SIGNS!

The more the better. This is your chance to tell Pres. Obama and Congress what to do. Keep it simple, readable, and (fairly) clean. US Park Service permit: "The use of hand-carried signs is allowed regardless of size."
See FREEWAYBLOGGER.com for some ideas.
Also How to Make a Sign in 5 Minutes (1:34 video)



Lafayette Square | White House

METRO Blue/Orange Lines: Farragut West or McPherson Square
METRO Red Line: Farragut North. [DC Metrorail/Bus info]

View Larger Map

Getting there

(Please note: Bus service from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont has been cancelled.)
From Reagan National Airport Get on METRO (Blue Line) to Farragut West Station (departs every 12 mins). Buy farecard: $2.70 round-trip, ride is 16 minutes.
Other travel info will be posted as received. Please email joe[at]enduswars.org.

Where to stay in DC

Hostels.com
Hostelz.com
Hotels


What to wear

Dress warmly, in layers. Dec. 12 forecast is for mostly sunny, high around 40.
Check here for weather updates before the event.


Where to eat near Lafayette Square

Cosi (Search Zip Code 20006)
Potbelly 17th & Penn, 14th & NY
Potenza Bakery 15th & H
[Other eating suggestions welcome. Please email joe[at]enduswars.org.


Download 2-per-page flyer         facebookicon facebook group | event

Schedule & Calendar

Friday, December 11

PeacePosterThumb   
8-10pm [Note time change!] Pre-Rally Meet-Up at Busboys & Poets showing critically acclaimed film Rethink Afghanistan. Please sign the filmmaker's Petition to Congress to VOTE NO on any spending bill that would send more troops to Afghanistan. Goal: 100,000 signatures by Dec. 14 (75,000 now).


        2021 14th Street NW (14th & V)
        Washington DC 20009
        FREE admission (donations requested).
Other related events TBA

Saturday, December 12

10-11am Assembly
11am-4pm Rally, Speakers, Music
3-4pm Organizing Tea with Peace Movement Leaders
4pm Conclusion & Clean-up

Scheduled Speakers

Dennis Kucinich US Representative (D-Ohio) and former Presidential candidate, www.kucinich.house.gov

Cynthia McKinney 2008 Green Party candidate for President, former six-term Democratic Congresswoman from Georgia http://dignity.ning.com

Ralph Nader attorney, author, lecturer, political activist, consumer advocate and four-time Presidential candidate.

Mike Gravel 2008 Presidential candidate, former two-term Democratic Senator from Alaska (1969-1981) www.mikegravel.us

Kathy Kelly Three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, one of the founding members of Voices in the Wilderness, and currently a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence

Chris Hedges Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author of Collateral Damage: America's War Against Iraqi Civilians (2008) and Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle (2009)

David Swanson Co-founder of AfterDowningStreet.org, author of Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union

Rev. Graylan Hagler Senior Minister, Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, Washington, DC, www.plymouth-ucc.org

Gael Murphy Executive Committee member, CODEPINK, high-profile peace and justice advocate, featured in the recent antiwar documentary Finding Our Voices (2008).

Coy McKinney Peace activist, www.everythingology.com

Debra Sweet National Director, The World Can't Wait

Brian Becker Co-Director International A.N.S.W.E.R.

Mathis Chiroux Iraq Veterans Against the War

Elaine Brower Military Families Speak Out

Chioma Oruh Black Is Back Coalition

Lynne Williams Green candidate for Governor of Maine in 2010, www.lynnewilliams2010.org

Betty Hall 14-term Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives (D)

Marian Douglas-Ungaro writer and peace advocate, DC Statehood Green Party

Michael Knox, Ph.D. US Peace Memorial Foundation

Ralph Lopez filmmaker, Jobs For Afghans

David Zirin

Christopher Towne National Assembly to End the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq

Captain Ron Fisher, US Navy (retired), WeThePeopleNow.org.

Statements from

Rabbi Michael Lerner founder of Tikkun
Colonel Ann Wright, US Army (retired), US State Department (retired), peace activist
Kevin Zeese Director of Voters For Peace
Stephen Zunes, Ph.D. Professor of Politics and International Studies at the University of San Francisco, www.stephenzunes.org
Jared Ball Journalist, broadcaster on WPFW-FM in Washington, DC
John Judge Former Congressional staffer, lifelong peace activist, Real Democracy Project
Jay Marx Proposition One, Washington Peace Center
Stephen Lendman Columnist, radio show host, Global Research News Hour
Doris "Granny D" Haddock peace activist, www.grannyd.com
Kyle Galindez University of Cincinnati student and member of Campus Antiwar Network. He formerly organized with College Democrats and Power Vote, a youth-lead environmental campaign during the 2008 election.
Sarah-Jaine Szekeresh Midwest coordinator for Campus Antiwar Network and a recent graduate from the University of Cincinnati.

Music by

Head-Roc
Jordan Page
Emma's Revolution
Ka'Ba (substituting for Precise Science)


Please Note This is a peaceful demonstration. We are committed to non-violence and do not condone illegal acts of any kind. Let's be respectful of each other's personal safety and property.