Americans to March with Iraqis in Amsterdam Peace Rally
Press Conference:
Friday - February 14 - 10:30AM
ABC Treehouse, Voetboogstraat 11, AmsterdamFebruary 11, 2003 - U.S. and Iraqi citizens living in the Netherlands will march together on February 15 in Amsterdam to protest a potential U.S.-led war against Iraq.
"We refuse to be enemies," said Sheila Gogol, spokesperson for Americans Against War in Iraq.
AAWI is a group of concerned U.S. expatriates in Holland who have come together to speak out against the increasing threat of a pre-emptive war waged against the Iraqi people. The group represents a broad spectrum of different ages, backgrounds, professions, faiths and political affiliations.
The joint American-Iraqi march is part of a large anti-war rally beginning at 1:00PM, Saturday, February 15, on the Dam in Amsterdam.
The Amsterdam rally is part of a worldwide day of opposition to war against Iraq. Simultaneous rallies will take place in New York and more than 50 cities around the globe. It has been reported that this may be the largest ever mobilization against war. Organizers estimate that 10 million people around the world could take part.
On Friday, February 14, AAWI and their Iraqi counterparts will hold a joint press conference to inform the media and answer questions about their decision to march together.
Look for us on Saturday, 15 February on the Dam near the Nieuwe Kerk.
Background info
Americans Against War in Iraq
AS DIVERSE AS AMERICA ITSELF
- As our name suggests, we are a group of concerned US citizens living in the Netherlands who oppose war with Iraq. We are as diverse as America itself, encompassing a broad spectrum of different ages, backgrounds, professions, faiths, and political affiliations. We are doctors, lawyers, artists, executives, entrepreneurs, educators, students, parents, grandparents. We are united by a common desire to achieve a peaceful resolution to the Iraq crisis and avoid war.
AMERICANS OPPOSE WAR IN RECORD NUMBERS
- There is a general perception in Europe and elsewhere that all Americans support the Bush administration's relentless pursuit of war. This is simply not true. Anti-war sentiment in the U.S. is strong and growing stronger. Protest and public outcry against the war are reaching levels not seen since Vietnam. More than 50 U.S. cities have passed resolutions opposed to war. Like our counterparts back home, we are not "radicals", but average Americans from all walks of life standing in solidarity with people all over the world who support peace.
"DISSENT IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF PATRIOTISM"
- Thomas Jefferson wrote, "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism." After September 11th, it was considered blasphemous for Americans to speak out against the U.S. government. Anyone who dared criticize the current administration and its policies was quickly branded a "traitor" and labeled unpatriotic. Yet, turning a blind eye to foreign and domestic policies that are unfair and unjust is unconscionable; we cannot stand silently by and watch our government violate international law and wreak havoc on innocent people. We stand firmly behind the principles of life, liberty, free speech, and democracy. These freedoms must be extended to everyone, not just a select few. We believe that by pursuing a war of aggression in Iraq our government is violating the very principles it espouses.
MANY REASONS FOR OPPOSING WAR
- Our reasons for opposing a war against Iraq are many. If you ask us why we are marching today, you will get many different answers, including:
- There can be no justification for a war which will result in the death and suffering of countless women, children and innocent civilians.
- This war is being waged for economic reasons that have more to do with oil than terrorism or alleged weapons of mass destruction.
- The U.S. government, in the absence of solid evidence against Iraq, uses fear and scare tactics to persuade the American people that war is necessary.
- Waging war against Iraq will increase anti-American sentiment abroad and will provoke more incidents of terrorism, not less.
- The U.S. should focus on domestic issues such as the economy, health care, and education rather than spending billions of dollars on war.
- This pre-emptive war is morally and ethically wrong. Peaceful alternatives do exist.
"Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding." - Ralph Waldo Emerson Americans Against War in Iraq
Contacts:
Denis Campbell +31 (0)62 904 1481 denis@dark2light.com
Sheila Gogol +31 (0)20 662 0405 sheila.gogol@tip.nl
_____
menu | dDH