Rise Against Bush, Shine For A Peaceful Tomorrow

The DC Anti-War Network (DAWN) has called for a permitted anti-war rally and march, and it has called separately for nonviolent civil disobedience die-ins to draw attention to the dead at the hands of the Bush Administration. These actions have been called for January 20, 2005 in Washington, D.C. to protest George Bush’s inauguration and the president’s destructive actions at home and abroad. We invite the entire world to participate in these events, which have been endorsed by United for Peace and Justice.

DAWN has applications and general assurances from the authorities for permits for march and rally locations. We are calling for people to rally at Malcolm X Park (16th and Euclid Sts NW – nearest to U Street and Columbia Heights Metro Stations) at 9:00 a.m. Following this, we will begin a march
at 11:15 a.m., toward the White House down 16th Street and ending at McPherson Square Park (15th & I Sts) approximately at 12:30 p.m. Feeder marches organized by other groups will join the DAWN march at points along 16th Street.

From McPherson Square, march participants may join in several actions. Many are expected to join protests along the inauguration parade route on Pennsylvania Avenue, only a few blocks south of the march’s end point. The parade is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. after Bush’s inauguration ceremony at the Capitol building, leaving plenty of time for participants to find locations on the parade to continue their protest.

DAWN’s non-violent civil disobedience die-in action is separate from DAWN’s march. Die-in participants will join the rally at Malcolm X Park, but will not leave for their action until 30 minutes after the last person on the
march has left the park. From Malcolm X Park, participants will march down 16th Street toward the White House and approach H & 16th Sts. where they will lay down in the street at the edge of Lafayette Park and remain there. Lafayette Park is at the end of the Presidential parade route and right in front of the White House. For more information on the civil disobedience visit the DAWN website (www.dawndc.net) for updates or if you’re committed to participating, contact Pete Perry (202-829-7383).

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Motives for Rise Against Bush, Shine For A Peaceful Tomorrow actions:

We RISE
· Against the needless slaughter in and occupation of Iraq;
· Against the assault on civil liberties, as represented by such acts as the
Patriot Act and the immoral detentions at Guantanamo Bay;
· Against US support of the Israeli government's denial of human rights
against the Palestinian people;
· Against U.S. overthrow of Aristide in Haiti;
· Against U.S. attempts to overthrow any other democratically elected
leader, including Hugo Chavez in Venezuela;
· Against any U.S. military action in Iran.

We SHINE
· For a world that embraces peaceful dialogue instead of war;
· For a world where we respect the liberty of all beings;
· For a world that looks out for all those who are now oppressed, including
the poor, women, racial minorities, workers, the disabled, gays, lesbians,
bisexuals, transgendered, as well as the earth and its creatures;
· For a world that embraces social justice;
· For democracy and the autonomy of all people to have a full say in how
they are governed;
· For each other.

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Confirmed speakers and artists

Amy Goodman (Democracy Now)
Father Gerard Jean-Juste (former Haitian political prisoner)
Reverend Graylan Hagler (Civil Rights leader, Plymouth Congregational Church)
Stan Goff (Military Families Speak Out)
Shujaa Graham (exonerated death row inmate)
Medea Benjamin (Code Pink, Global Exchange)
Michael Ratner (International Human Rights lawyer, Center for Constitutional Rights)
David Cobb (2004 Green Party Presidential Candidate)
Zach Lown (International Socialist Organization)
Aidan Delgado (Iraqi War Vet)
Andy Shallal (Iraqi American Activist)
Mark Lance (Palestinian Rights Activist)
Ellen Thomas (anti-nuclear activist)
David Rovics (folk singer)
Son Of Nun (political rapper)

Additional speakers are expected.

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Traveling to DAWN’s actions

Malcolm X Park is a huge park along 15th & 16th Streets, and bordered on the north by Euclid Street. The rally will be in the upper level of the park. The park can be found on maps by locating Meridian Hill Park, the park’s official name.

(To find the park on mapquest, use the following link: www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp).

Buses can be parked at RFK Stadium in D.C. The cost to park a bus is $30 per bus. From there people can take a Metro train from the Stadium/Armory Metro station. They can take either a blue line (direction of Franconia/Springfield) or an orange line train (direction of Vienna) to L’Enfant Plaza station, where they will switch to a Green Line train (direction of Greenbelt). From there, people can get off at the U Street station. Exit the station at the 13th Street exit and walk west on U Street to 15th Street. Turn on 15th Street to walk a couple blocks north and up a hill to the rally location at Malcolm X Park. The entire trip from RFK will take approximately 35 minutes.

From McPherson Square or locations on the parade route there are several places to access the metro system back to RFK Stadium (Stadium/Armory station). Most likely, you will be near the McPherson Square, Federal Triangle or Metro Center stations, which all have easy rides back to the stadium (take Orange or Blue line trains).

There is no bus parking at Metro stations, though buses may drop people off at them before parking at RFK Stadium. We expect to have greeters at RFK Stadium, U Street, and Columbia Heights stations.

For those traveling by car and arriving the day of our event, please consider parking at the following Metro stations. If coming from I-95 and points South, please consider the Franconia/Springfield Metro station; from I-66, the Vienna station; from I-95, Baltimore and points North, the Greenbelt station; from I-270 and ports North and West, the Shady Grove station; and from U.S. 50 and points east, the New Carrolton station. All of these Metro stations have plenty of parking.

Those traveling by train will arrive in Union Station, which is accessible directly to the Metro’s Red line, not too many stops away from the rally destination.

If you are flying, there are buses and shuttles directly from Dulles and BWI to Metro Stations. National Airport is on the Blue and Yellow lines.

The Metro system is easy to use. For more information, see www.wmata.com.

WMATA has produced a pdf for those planning to travel on Metro on the day of the inauguration, listing the parade route, street closures, and other important information. You can view the pdf here: wmata.com/about/met_news/05inauguration.pdf

Groups from out of town should make sure they have listed their ride listings on www.counter-inaugural.org. We also encourage groups that can to come the night before, and we will help groups arrange their housing needs.

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Support DAWN’s and other counter-inaugural actions

If you or your group or organization wants to endorse DAWN’s call to action, please send an email to info-AT-dawndc.net. Write also if you wish to collaborate in the planning or offer financial donations or other material support.

Find out more information about DAWN’s and other groups’ actions at www.counter-inaugural.org. Check our website, www.dawndc.net, for more details. Housing boards, events boards, working group information, and ride boards can be found at www.counter-inaugural.org. We will post updates of our actions, as they become available, to that website.