[Mb-civic] Crowds Overflow at Downing Street Memo gathering

[ean at sbcglobal.net]

Crowds Overflow at Downing Street Memo gatherings, irate citizens 
chant "Impeach Bush"

Sunday 24th July 2005
 
How the United States Marked the 3rd Anniversary of the Downing Street
Memo By David Swanson

Hundreds of people were turned away today as capacity crowds packed public
forums in U.S. cities to discuss the Downing Street Memo and related
evidence that President Bush lied about the reasons for war. Halls were
filled to capacity and beyond in LA, Oakland, Seattle, Detroit,
Northampton, New York, and elsewhere, for events led by Congress 
Members,
including Maxine Waters, Barbara Lee, Jim McDermott, John Conyers, and
Maurice Hinchey.

For the second time in the two months since we launched the
www.AfterDowningStreet.org campaign, I¹ve been overwhelmed by what 
we¹ve
tapped into. The first time was when we put up a website about the Downing
Street minutes and a demand for an investigation into grounds for
impeachment. I¹d never seen a coalition grow so quickly or a website
receive so much traffic. Today we saw crowds of people in red and blue
states chant "Impeach Bush!" at events with leaders not yet ready to use
the I word. The much maligned American Public is way out ahead of us - I¹m
telling you.

I need to get outside the Beltway more! Today I did so, briefly. I drove
over and spoke at an event in Montgomery County, Maryland. The questions I
got from the crowd were along the lines of "Why is it so hard to get a
Democrat from a solidly Democratic district to introduce articles of
impeachment? What are they waiting for?"

It¹s a hell of a question. They know that a Zogby poll in the end of June
- the ONLY poll done on impeachment of Bush - found that 42 percent of
Americans (meaning a strong majority of Democrats) favor impeachment if
the President lied about the reasons for war. They know that 52 percent
believe he did in fact so lie, according to ABC/Washington Post.

What are they waiting for?

If they¹re waiting for a show of public pressure, they got a good glimpse
of it today. The blog entries and photos and audio clips that flowed into
the www.AfterDowningStreet.org site all day were full of energy,
excitement, enthusiasm, and righteous anger.

At an event in Detroit with Congressman Conyers, constitutional law
professor Bob Sedler asked the crowd if Bush had committed impeachable
offenses, and the whole room shouted "YES!"

The scene in New York was similar. Quoting our blogger:

"I hope many of you are watching this amazing event online. This is a
[sic] both a rowdy and a mature crowd! Liz Holtzman was awarded--and she
deserved--a standing ovation for her tales of the Nixon Impeachment and
her sane cautions about the difficulty of getting Congress to act.

"It will only happen, she reminded us, via the WILL OF THE PEOPLE.

"And now Rep. Hinchey is on fire--clear and direct and comprehensive in
his exposition of the various crimes that the Bush Administration has,
provably, committed.

"It is incredible to be in this hot hall and to feel the energy of the
overflow crowd. The will of the people is remarkably clear here..."

Other reports that came in from around the country described events as
small as this one in Ohio:

"Twelve peacemakers from NE Ohio gathered at the Community Center of
Newton Falls (zipcode 44444) to hear a dramatic reading of the Downing
Street memo and engage in a lively discussion of local peace events and
social justice issues. The entrance to the Community Center is prominently
marked by a memorial to four young men from this small town who lost their
lives in the War in Vietnam. We felt their spirit among us crying out to a
new generation: the politicians lied and we died! Honor the dead - reveal
the truth and stop the war!"

Or this one in Louisville, Kentucky:

"On this blistering hot day, the Louisville Peace Action Community (LPAC)
held its DSM event at a busy intersection in a working class neighborhood
in Louisville¹s southend.

"We had about 40 people with signs & petitions and we had great
visibility--thousands of cars saw us and many, many pedestrians talked to
us. In our group we had an 82-year-old nun & several babies.

"We also had a visit from ¹George Bush¹ on a megaphone telling people NOT
to read the Memo, because he didn¹t want them to know the truth. He
sounded as stupid as ever.

"We had an overwhelmingly positive response and were glad to find a good
new intersection for future actions. After two hours in the blazing heat,
we hit a local watering hole for a round of congratulations and good
laughs. The truth will prevail."

Many events were house parties, like this one:

"A motivated and committed group has gathered at a house party in Raleigh,
NC to watch the DVD of the Conyers¹ hearing and to continue the lively
discussion we¹ve already started. We have twice the expected turnout, with
participants from all over the Triangle area. We¹re excited about building
on this momentum and adding even more voices to this movement."

Will the media cover these events and the facts that motivated them?

I know of some newspapers, including major ones, doing stories for
tomorrow. But the focus appears likely to be on the activism, more than
the substance of the discussions. And there was substance!

Former CIA analysts testified on the state of intelligence under
Bush-Cheney. Families of soldiers who have died in Iraq, and veterans of
the fighting in Iraq told their stories. Legal analysts and other experts
provided historical perspective and understanding of the strength of the
evidence.

Every event discussed the evidence of the Downing Street Documents. Most
events made plans to generate co-sponsors for H.Res. 375, a Resolution of
Inquiry introduced by Congresswoman Lee on Thursday that would require 
the
White House and the State Department to turn over all documentation of
communications with officials of the UK between January and October 2002.

In New York, Congressman Hinchey engaged in an analysis of strategies
related to expanding the special prosecutor¹s reach or creating a new one.
In Oakland, Daniel Ellsberg, known for having released the Pentagon
Papers, said that the intelligence committees in Congress have the right
to hold minority hearings with subpoena power and argued for pressuring
the Democrats to do that rather than pressuring the Republicans to act
like they care about their country.

A "mainstream" radio station in one city called me to get in touch with
someone at a local event. "It would be impolitic," the producer said, with
no sign of intending irony, to simply cover what¹s in the Downing Street
Memo. But, he said, he COULD cover a rally.

C-Span, meanwhile, chose not to cover any of the events, not because the
lineup of speakers was not impressive, but - according to their reply to
one activist - because they choose not to cover events if too many people
ask them to do so. (We asked thousands of people to ask C-Span, which in
the past has worked much more often than not doing that has.)

At least we can be satisfied that on this day we became the media and did
our own reporting. The results are at www.AfterDowningStreet.org

My favorite of the various short entries I posted today is this one:

"I just got off the phone with Bill Moyer of the Backbone Campaign in
Seattle. They, like the organizers today in New York, Oakland, Los
Angeles, and Northampton, had to turn people away because the space was
filled beyond capacity.

"Congressman Jim McDermott, I¹m told, gave a tremendous speech, as did
spokespeople from Military Families Speak Out, and as I¹m sure Bill did
himself.

"They also performed a humurous reenactment of the Downing Street 
Meeting.

"Then they organized groups to write letters to the media, to Congress,
and to the Governor of Washington State.

"When I told Bill about the events eleswhere today, he said ¹It¹s the
beginning of the end for the Bush Administration.¹"

http://www.opednews.com/articles/op...

--------

ACTION NEEDED ON REP. LEE'S RESOLUTION
Congresswoman Barbara Lee and 29 co-sponsors are backing a 
Resolution of Inquiry which, if passed, will require the White House 
and the State Department to "transmit all information relating to 
communication with officials of the United Kingdom between January 
1, 2002, and October 16, 2002, relating to the policy of the United 
States with respect to Iraq." 

If the Downing Street Documents are not accurate, this is the White 
House's opportunity to prove it. 

If your Representative is not a co-sponsor (http://tinyurl.com/8mzrn), 
we need you to ask him or her to become a co-sponsor of H.Res. 375. 
Many, even possibly some Republicans, will co-sponsor this, but they 
have to be asked. 

Please do all three of the following: 

Email your congress member: 
http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/50 

Phone your congress member: 
http://www.usalone.com/get_instantcongress.htm 

Fax your congress member: 
http://www.usalone.com/get_instantcongress.htm 

Find more information and flyers about the Resolution: 
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/902 

JULY 23 EVENTS WERE A HUGE SUCCESS!!!
Your work on Saturday was amazing.You turned out overflow crowds 
at events around the country to mark the third anniversary of the 
Downing Street Minutes. We are all energized and ready to take this 
fight to the next level!
Here's a summary:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/991 
Read reports from around the United States and Europe:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org 
See photos:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/306 
Audio and video:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/314 

REP. BECERRA TO HOLD TOWN HALL MEETING JULY 30
On Saturday, July 30, Congressman Xavier Becerra will hold a town 
hall forum on the Downing Street Minutes at Lincoln Heights Center in 
Los Angeles, California. 
Local Start Time: 11:00 a.m. PT
Address: 2323 Workman Street
Los Angeles, California
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/596 


REP. FRANK TO HOLD TOWN HALL MEETING JULY 31
On Sunday, July 31, Congressman Barney Frank will hold a town hall 
forum on the Downing Street Minutes at Arlington Street Church in 
Boston, Massachusetts. 
Special Guests Include constitutional law expert and co-founder 
of AfterDowningStreet.org John Bonifaz. 
Local Start Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Address: Arlington & Boylston Streets (just West o! f Boston 
Commons) 
Boston, Massachusetts
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/596 


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"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
   ---   George Orwell


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