Activists to Announce Change of Plans for Protest v. G8-NATO
For Immediate Release: 3/14/2012
For Information: Andy Thayer, 773.209.1187, CCAWR@aol.com, Coalition Against the NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda (CANG8)
Joe Iosbaker (773.301.0109, joeiosbaker@gmail.com, Coalition Against the NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda (CANG8)
Activists to Announce
Change of Plans
For Protest v. G8-NATO
CHICAGO — New plans for the only currently permitted march to go to the doorstep of this city’s NATO summit May 20-21 will be announced 10 AM Thursday at a press conference to be held on the southwest corner of Daley Plaza (Washington Blvd. & Clark Street), site of opening rally for the May protest.
While activists see the moving of the G8 summit to the mountains of western Maryland as an attempt to blunt the protests to be held here, most reports indicate that activists are instead taking confidence from what they see as a victory over an institution that’s so unpopular that it once again shuns holding its meetings in major urban areas.
“The removal of the G8 from Chicago shows the value of protests,” said Pat Hunt, a spokesperson for the Coalition Against the NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda (www.CANG8.org). “If protest can score such a victory, then people draw the logical conclusion that even more protest can score additional victories.”
“With the Sunday murder of 16 Afghan civilians by one or more U.S. service members and the unprovoked Israeli air strikes on Gaza which have killed 21 over the past few days, the occupation policies promoted by NATO and its allies are showing why May’s protests in Chicago are going to the focus of the progressive movement this spring,” said Joe Iosbaker, also of CANG8.
Other representatives at the press conference will include:
** Mark Banks representing Occupy Chicago
** Mary Dean, who recently visited Afghanistan as part of a Voices For Creative Non-Violence delegation
** Bishop Reuel Marigza, General Secretary, United Church of Christ in the Philippines and Vice Chair, National Council of Churches in the Philippines
** The Right Reverend Felixberto Calang, IRI, Supreme Council of Bishops of the Philippine Independent Church and Convener, Initiatives for Peace in Mindanao
** Ms. Angelina Bisuna-Ipong, former political prisoner in The Philippines and author, Garden Behind Bars
** Jan Rodolfo, RN, who is the Midwest Director of the National Nurses Union, which is hosting another anti-G8/NATO march on Friday, May 18
** Darrius Lightfoot, Fearless Leading by the Youth and Southside Together Organizing for Power (STOP)
** Nick Egnatz of Northwest Indiana Veterans for Peace
and,
** Joe Iosbaker and Andy Thayer representing the Logistics Committee of CANG8.
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