SDS: March 20 Student Day of Action Against the War

2008: Days of Action Against the War

2008-01-23T17:55:00.000-06:00

Please visit http://march20sds.wordpress.com to sign on to a call to action for 2008!

Below is the text of the call in full:

NATIONAL DAYS OF STUDENT ACTION AGAINST THE IRAQ WAR
ALL OUT FOR MARCH 20, 2008

This March will mark a grim milestone - the fifth anniversary of the illegal and immoral invasion of Iraq. Despite the clear mandate from the American people to end the occupation, the U.S. government continues to wage war upon the Iraqi people. Bush’s mocking response to dwindling public support for the war has been the “troop surge,” or simply more of the same, while simultaneously threatening neighboring countries like Iran. For their part, the Democrats refuse to commit to a clear anti-war stance, even as they try to posture as the opposition party. Meanwhile, the threat of domestic recession looms, racist attacks increase, and millions lack decent housing, jobs, education, and health-care.

The war will drag on for many more years–draining billions of dollars and resulting in thousands of more causalities, both American and Iraqi, on top of the hundreds of thousands already killed, injured, and displaced–unless the people stand up and fight for change.

Every year, there have been protests marking the anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq that was launched on the basis of lies and deceit. Students have historically had an especially important role in the struggles against racism and war, and we continue to do so today. Last March, over 80 high schools and colleges answered the call by chapters of Students for a Democratic Society to come together to send one loud resounding NO to the Bush administration and the Republican agenda, to the Democrats who refuse to carry out the mandate of their constituents, and to the University administrations that so often support war efforts.

This March, SDS is urging all students, as part of the broader community of people of conscience, to voice our opposition to the war in Iraq. As the presidential election nears, candidates need to be sent a clear message: we will not stand for vague time lines and empty promises, we will not tolerate sanctions, threats, and aggression against Iran, and that we will stand in solidarity with the Iraqi people who are struggling to liberate their country.

We want as many people as possible to join us in this protest; the larger the protest the stronger the impact we have, and the sooner we can help end this war. We are calling on any and all student and youth based organizations that are opposed to the war in Iraq to mobilize their memberships, their campus, their community and hit the streets for the week of March 17-21, with March 20 as the focal point.* We are calling on students to take action on their own campuses, where we have the power to reach the entire student body with our message and build resistance on our own campuses. We are calling on our fellow students and youth to take the lead and do whatever it takes–from rallies, marches, walk-outs, civil disobedience, and direct action–to send a clear message to the U.S. government: Get out of Iraq Now!

U.S. OUT OF THE MIDDLE EAST!
GET ORGANIZED, GET INVOLVED, GET IN THE STREETS!

Students for a Democratic Society

March 20th Working Group

January 4, 2008

Contact march20sds@gmail.com if you would like to sign on to the call.

*This call is flexible so that each campus/community can organize an action that works best for them. For instance, if March 20th is an inconvenient date due to Spring Break, actions can be held in the weeks prior to or after 3/20. We are encouraging those who are on spring break during this week to mobilize their chapters to participate in the anti-war actions being held in D.C. on the 19th; for more information on the actions in DC, email dcsds@riseup.net.

Press Coverage of March 20

2007-03-31T13:33:00.000-06:00

Here is a list of links to press coverage that the March 20 mobilization has received. Please email us to let us know about any coverage you get or you see so we can add it to the list.

General Coverage of March 20

3/9/2007 - The Students Are Stirring: A Campus Antiwar Movement Begins to Make Its Mark by Ron Jacobs - MR Zine - Interview with Kati Ketz of UNC-Asheville SDS about March 20 (also on Znet and Dissident Voice)

3/14/2007 - Momentum grows for March 20 student day of action against war - Fight Back News

3/21/2007 - SDS March 20 national day of action: Thousands of students walk out, take to streets - Fight Back News

3/29/2007 - Students walk out from coast to coast - Workers World

3/29/2007 - March 20 student protests around the country: "The youth will not be silent" - Revolution Newspaper

UNC-Chapel Hill

3/21/2007 - 'Whose Streets? Our Streets!' Students protest war by hundreds on anniversary - Daily Tarheel

3/21/2007 - Students mark war's anniversary - News & Observer

3/20/2007 - Locals, students call for troops to be sent home - Daily Tarheel

3/20/2007 - War protesters leave classes, flood streets - Herald Sun.com

3/20/2007 - Students plan anti-war protest today - News & Observer

3/20/2007 - SDS members at UNC plan walkout today over Iraq - Herald Sun

Maria Carillo High School (Santa Rosa, CA)

3/21/2007 - Maria Carrillo students protest war - The Press Democrat

University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa

3/21/2007 - Protesters: 'Get out of Iraq now' - The Crimson White

Rutgers University (New Jersey)

3/21/2007 - Rutgers students walk out of class to protest war - Star Ledger

3/21/2007 - A Walkout against the war - Star Ledger

3/21/2007 - Protesters hit the road - Asbury Park Press

3/21/2007 - Protest halts traffic - Hundreds rally at Rutgers, on Route 18 against war - Home News Tribune

3/21/2007 - Student walkout spills onto Route 18 - Daily Targum

3/21/2007 - Mother speaks in memory of soldier - Daily Targum

3/21/2007 - Rally elicits concerns from some at ROTC - Daily Targum

3/21/2007 - 300 Rutgers students skip class, protest war - NorthJersey.com

3/21/2007 - Anti-war org is back - Rutgers Observer

3/20/2007 - Rutgers: Anti-War Protest Disrupts Route 18 Traffic - Courier News Online

3/20/2007 - Anti-war protest impacts traffic in New Brunswick - Home News Tribune

3/20/2007 - 400 protesters swarm downtown New Brunswick, NJ, shut down highway, block recruiting center - Infoshop News

3/19/2007 - U Students Ready Legs, Opinions for War Protest - Daily Targum

3/19/2007 - Show That You Care - Commentary in the Daily Targum

3/19/2007 - Getting Real - Commentary in the Daily Targum

3/8/2007 - Governing Association to Support Walkout - Daily Targum

3/8/2007 - Why We are Walking Out - Sumia Ibrahim - Daily Targum

3/7/2007 - Walkout Against the War - Timothy Horras - Daily Targum

University of Illinois - Chicago

3/22/2007 - Protesters march on Chicago - Daily Illini (photos)

3/21/2007 - Photos from UIC walkout and march (1) (2) (3) (4) - Chicago Tribune

University of Minnesota

3/21/2007 - Students spread message, stop traffic - Minnesota Daily

3/19/2007 - War Protest Tuesday - Minnesota Daily (Letter)

UNC-Asheville

3/39/2007 - Students stage walkout to protest Iraq war - Asheville Global Report

3/27/2007 - UNCA students protest Iraq war - Asheville Daily Planet

3/21/2007 - Students walk out of class to protest the war in Iraq - Citizen Times (photos) (video)

3/21/2007 - March for Peace - Asheville Daily Planet

3/20/2007 - Students Leave Class to Join War Protest - Citizen Times (video)

Winthrop University (Winthrop, SC)

3/21/2007 - Winthrop students turn out to protest Iraq war - The State

3/21/2007 - Winthrop students rally for end to Iraq war 'Peace. Shalom. Salaam.' - Herald Online

New York University

3/21/2007 - A walkout in the park: On Iraq's 4-year anniversary, about 150 protest - Washington Square News

3/21/2007 - NYU students protest war in Iraq - NY1

3/20/2007 - NYU Anti-War Group to Host Rally Today - Washington Square News

University of Iowa

3/21/2007 - Hundreds Rally for Peace - The Daily Iowan

3/9/2007 - Some to Head to Pentagon for Protest - the Daily Iowan

Grand Rapids / Activate SDS (Michigan)

3/21/2007 - Antiwar March Confronts Congressman Ehlers at his Home - Media Mouse
3/21/2007 - Local News Coverage of Antiwar March Sensationalized and Biased - Media Mouse
3/21/2007 - Video: Protest Targets Representative Ehlers' Support of the Iraq War - Media Mouse

George Mason University

3/22/2007 - Dying for Peace: GMU students stage protest at Fairfax campus - The Connection

Drew University (New Jersey)

3/21/2007 - Video clips of walkout and march (1) (2) - YouTube

Cherry Hill High School (New Jersey)

3/21/2007 - Cherry Hill students mark anniversary in war protest - Courier Post Online

3/20/2007 - Students protest Iraq war - Courier Post Online

Brown University (Rhode Island)

3/20/2007 - Students arrested at SDS 'die-in' downtown - Brown Daily Herald

3/20/2007 - Photos from SDS Rhode Island Die-In at Weapons Manufacturer by Joshua McIntosh

3/19/2007 - R.I. Students Protest Weapons Manufacturer - Turnto10.com - Providence, RI

Middlebury College (Vermont)

3/21/2007 - Students observe Iraq war anniversary - Middlebury Campus

Harvard University

3/21/2007 - Memorial steps host Iraq war vigil - Harvard Crimson

University of Florida

3/22/2007 - Photos from the UF protest

3/21/2007 - Students protest Iraq war (photo gallery) - Independent Florida Alligator

3/21/2007 - 200 UF students march against the war in Iraq - gainesville.com

3/21/2007 - Anti-war protesters march on Tigert Hall - The Independent Florida Alligator

3/21/2007 - Video clip from UF protest - YouTube

3/21/2007 - Where is the passion of protest from the Vietnam era? - The Independent Florida Alligator

3/19/2007 - Local Activists Join in National Anti-War Protest - The Independent Florida Alligator

3/5/2007 - Student protest against war planned - The Independent Florida Alligator

North Carolina State

3/21/2007 - Walk out brings high school, college students together - Daily Technician

3/21/2007 - Students protest war by walking out - abc11tv.com (video)

Enloe High School (North Carolina)

3/21/2007 - Walk out brings high school, college students together - Daily Technician

Southeast Raleigh High School (North Carolina)

3/21/2007 - Walk out brings high school, college students together - Daily Technician

Macalester College (St. Paul, MN)

3/20/2007 - Macalester Students Walk Out Against War - photos on Twin Cities Indymedia

Michigan State University

3/21/2007 - MSU student war protest - 6 News WLNS.com

Southern Illinois University

3/20/2007 - Anti-War Protest at SIU - WSIL TV

Binghamton University

3/20/2007 - Students Participate in Walkout to Protest War - Pipe Dream

Sacramento State

3/20/2007 - Shoes Display Student Protest of War - The State Hornet

UCLA

3/19/2007 - Groups to Hold March in Protest of Iraq War - Daily Bruin

UC-Santa Barbara

3/18/2007 - Critical Mass (Bike Ride) Against War in Santa Barbara - LA Indymedia

3/9/2007 - Strike Against War Continues With Bikes - Daily Nexus

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

3/15/2007 - Protesting for Peace - The Spectator

3/15/2007 - War Protest at UW-Eau Claire - WEAU 13

Ventura College

3/15/2007 - Students rally against Iraq war; 50 from Ventura College Join In - Ventura County Star

University of Maryland

3/15/20007 - Sparse Protest Marks Iraq Milestone - Diamondback

Boston College

3/22/2007 - Anniversary brings protest - the Heights

USC

3/22/2007 - Anti-war protesters 'die' for point - Daily Trojan

Saint Cloud State University (St. Cloud, MN)

3/22/2007 - Students protest war - University Chronicle

Chantilly High School (Chantilly, Virginia)

3/22/2007 - Taking a stand - The Fairfax County Times

Press Release - March 22, 2007

2007-03-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELASE

March 22, 2007

84 Schools Mark the Fourth Anniversary of the War in
National Day of Student Action

On March 20, thousands of students and young people across the country participated in one of the largest coordinated student protests in recent history. Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) originally put out the call for schools to organize and demonstrate against the Iraq War on its fourth anniversary.

All across the United States - from the Northeast campuses of Harvard and Rutgers, to Southern schools of Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Winthrop in South Carolina; from high schools in Raleigh, North Carolina to Santa Rosa, California; and Midwestern campuses in Minnesota and Michigan - students have walked out of classes, rallied in their communities, and spoken out against the war in Iraq.

Kati Ketz of the University of North Carolina-Asheville SDS, one of the lead organizers of the national day of action, said, "March 20th has turned out to be an amazing day of coordinated actions around the country against the war and occupation of Iraq. 84 schools in total signed on to the call to action, and thousands of students walked out of their classes, had die-ins, and participated in other forms of resistance in what was possibly the largest single day of student action since the Vietnam war."

She continues, "We need to continue with this momentum and keep building the student anti-war movement. This is only the beginning of a new wave of student activism. As students have been chanting, 'Stop the war? Yes we can! SDS is back again!'"

"The student movement here in Chicago is clearly coming alive. The UIC campus rally attracted some 200 students, most of whom walked out or missed classes to participate. The city-wide student and youth contingent, also about 200 in size, demonstrated strong unity and organization," said Stan Huculak of the University of Illinois at Chicago Students for Social Justice.

The U.S. has now entered its fifth year in Iraq, and the Bush administration is further escalating U.S. military presence in the midst of vast unpopularity. Bush and company plead for "more patience" on the eve of the fourth anniversary - but we have already waited far too long. March 20 was a testament to the power of a revitalized student movement, and we will continue to demand an immediate end to the war as it drags on.

Contact for more information:

E-mail: march20antiwar@hotmail.com
Website: march20antiwar.blogspot.com

Kati Ketz, UNC-Asheville SDS - 614-439-3978
Stan Huculak, UIC Students for Social Justice - 847-404-5036
Chapin Gray, Tuscaloosa SDS - 251-605-7780

End

Schools and Organizations Participating in the March 20 Student Day of Action

2007-03-19T16:38:00.000-06:00

These are the schools we know of that are participating in the March 20 student anti-war day of action.  Leave a comment here or email march20antiwar (at) hotmail.com if your school is doing something and we'll add you to the list!

1. UNC-Asheville Socialist Unity League of SDS: Walk-Out at 11:30, Rally, March Downtown
2. University of Alabama SDS: Rally at noon at the Denny Chimes (facebook)
3. University of Minnesota Anti-War Organizing League (AWOL): Rally in front of Coffman Union, 12:00 pm (facebook)
4. UIC Students for Social Justice (S4SJ-SDS) and CAN: Walkout, Rally, Feeder March
5. Rutgers R.A.W (Rutgers Against the War): Walk-Out and Rally at 1:30, Vietnam Memorial (facebook)
6. UNC-Chapel Hill SDS: Walkout, Rally at the Pit 12pm, March (facebook)
7. UNC-Charlotte SDS
8. George Mason University SDS: Die-In
9. Winthrop University Socialist Student Union (Winthrop, SC) (facebook): 11:45 walkout, rally in front of Byrnes Auditorium on the steps
10. Elmhurst College SDS (Chicago)
11. Columbus, Ohio SDS
12. UCLA SDS: Speak-Outs on the 14-15th (facebook)(Spring Break on the 20th)
13. Western Illinois University MAAPJ:Rally 11 am - Chandler Park (on the 24th)
14. Green Hope High School SDS (Cary, NC): Walk-Out and March
15. Mt. Hebron High School (Baltimore, MD): Assembly
16. Wildlake High School (Columbia, MD): Demonstrations before/after school
17. Animas SDS Fort Lewis College (Durango, CO)
18. Macalester College Peace and Justice Committee (St. Paul, MN): Walk-Out
19. Georgia State University SDS
20. Kennesaw State University Campus Greens (Kennesaw, GA)
21. American University Community Action + Social Justice Coalition (DC)
22. Auckland University Students for Justice in Palestine/SDS: Student Strike
23. Depaul DSAW/SDS
24. University of Chicago SDS
25. School of the Art Institute of Chicago SDS
26. Northeastern Illinois University CAN
27. Desales High School Amnesty (Columbus, OH): Tabling and armbands
28. Lancaster, PA SDS
29. NYU Campus Anti-War Network: Walk-Out and rally at Washington Square Park.
30. Temple Campus Anti-War Network
31. Berea High School Ohio Fighters for Freedom: Walk-Out and Rally
32. Obion County Central WCW (TN): Walkout
33. University of Florida SDS: Walk-out at 1:00 pm and rally at Reitz Union Colonnade (facebook)
34. University of Greensboro WCW and Campus Anti-War Coalition: Walk-Out and Rally at Atrium Fountain - 11am
35. University of California Santa Barbara: March 17th Anti-war Critical Mass 9:00am at Pardall Tunnel and March 20th gatherings and reflexions
36. Santa Barbara City College: Rally on West Campus (March 14th 12:00pm)
37. Cary High School (Cary, NC): Walk-Out
38. Enloe High School (Raleigh, NC): Walk-Out and creative demonstration
39. Lawrenceville Boarding School (NJ): Walk-Out and sit-in at center of campus
40. Moorestown Friends School SDS (NJ): Walk-Out
41. Brown University SDS (Providence, RI): Street Theater outside Textron (arms manufacturer) and a banner drop
42. University of Iowa CAN: Rally 5pm at Pentacrest
43. University of Northern Iowa CAN: Walk-Out
44. ACTIVATE Grand Rapids, MI SDS: Days of Resistance to the War
45. Needham B. Broughton High Students Rights Union SDS (Raleigh, NC): Walk-Out and Rally
46. Fond de La HS WCW (WI): Walk-Out
47. Eleanor Roosevelt HS WCW (NYC): Walk-Out
48. Jefferson HS Youth Against War and Racism (MN): Day of Silence and Tabling
49. University of Wisconsin - Madison CAN: March 19th rally
50. White Plains High (White Plains, NY): Protest and Teach-In
51. Brandeis University (Boston): Teach-In and Demonstration
52. Emerson College (Boston): Banner drops and armbands
53. UC Berkeley (and area high schools): Walk-Out and Rally at Sproul Plaza 12pm
54. San Francisco State (and area high schools): Walk-Out and Rally at Malcolm X Plaza 12pm
55. Middlebury College Hope for Peace (Middlebury, VT): 12:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. on March 20 reading names of U.S. soldiers and Iraqis killed in the war
56. Newark SDS (New Jersey): Speak-out, Banner drops, vigil
57. William and Mary SDS (Williamsburg, VA)
58. Columbus WCW (Ohio)
59. University of Maryland Peace Forum: Rally on the 14th 12pm at the Sundial
60. University of Michigan Green Party
61. Antioch College SDS
62. Cardinal Gibbons High (Raleigh, North Carolina)
63. Grand Valley State University College Democrats (Michigan): Iraq awareness week, including tabling and a rally.
64. Texas Tech University: Walk-Out, Protest at 12pm, March to Rep. Randy Neugebauer's Lubbock office (611 University - City Bank) (facebook)
65. Wright College Students for Peace and Justice (Chicago): 3:15pm send-off rally to the larger Chicago student march down Michigan Ave.
66. Brooklyn College (CUNY) Anti-War Coalition (BCAW): Anti-War protest on the quad at 1:30pm
67. Harvard Initiative for Peace and Justice: Vigils at 12pm and in the evening
68. Harvard College/Graduate/Divinity school: Walk-out and Rally at 1pm at the Science Center
69. North Carolina State University: Rally at the Bell Tower at 11am
70. Occidental College (LA): Banner drops and armbands
71. Hudson High School (Hudson, Ohio)
72. Lincoln Park High School (Chicago): Attending student/youth rally and feeder march at 4 pm, University Center, downtown Chicago. Rumors of a Clandestine Clown Army Marching Band abound.
73. Columbia College (Chicago): Teach ins, then attending student/youth rally
74. Drew University SDS (New Jersey): Walk-Out and Protest
75. T.C. Williams High School (Alexandria, VA): Walk-Out at 11:30am
76. Yellow Springs SDS (Ohio): Walk-Out
77. Quince Orchard High (MD): Walk-Out
78. Haverford College STAND Collective (PA): Die-In at Founders Green 4pm and Teach-In Dining Center 5:30pm
79. Chantilly High School (Fairfax, VA): Sit-In
80. Cherry Hill High East (NJ): Walk-Out 12pm in the C wing and sit-in in front of school
81. Friday Harbor High (Friday Harbor, WA): Walk-Out
82. Cedar Crest College (Allentown, PA): Walk-Out at 12pm and rally at Blaney Hall
83. Severna Park High School (Severna Park, MD): Walk-Out
84. Maria Carillo High School (Santa Rosa, CA): Walk-Out


And these are the organizations that have endorsed the call to action!

1. Movement for a Democratic Society
2. Iraq Veterans Against the War
3. World Can't Wait/Drive Out the Bush Regime: Call to Walk-Out on M20
4. SPAN (Student Peace Action Network): March 19 Actions
5. Campus Anti-War Network: March 12th-25th Actions

Press

2007-03-19T16:35:00.000-06:00

Press Releases

March 22, 2007 Press Release: 84 Schools Mark the Fourth Anniversary of the War in National Day of Student Action

March 19, 2007 Press Release: 78 Schools Sign on to National Day of Student Resistance to the War in Iraq

March 12, 2007 Press Release - Movement for March 20 Student Day of Action Grows

March 1, 2007 Press Release - Nationwide Coordinated Protests on March 20, 2007 To Demand an Immediate End to the Iraq War

Some Press Contacts for March 20 Student Day of Action Against the War

Kati Ketz, UNC-Asheville SDS – 614-439-3978

Chapin Gray, University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa SDS – 251-605-7780

Ian Chinich, Rutgers Against the War - 908-872-4779

Moriah Arnold, Green Hope High SDS - 443-538-6255

email: march20antiwar (at) hotmail (dot) com

website: http://march20antiwar.blogspot.com

Press Release - March 19, 2007

2007-03-19T15:32:00.000-06:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 19, 2007

78 Schools Sign on to National Day of Student Resistance to the War in Iraq

On the eve of March 20th - a national day of student actions against the war in Iraq - 78 schools are signed on to the call. Schools all across the nation are having walk-outs and rallies; teach-ins and speak-outs; wearing armbands and waving flags; and participating in other forms of resistance to the war. Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), a multi-issue radical student organization, was recently re-formed this past year by students recognizing the need for young people to become active in the national anti-war movement.

The call for the protest was originally created at an SDS meeting after the School of the Americas Watch demonstration last November at Ft. Benning, Georgia. There, over 100 organizers from 20 different schools from around the country gathered and unanimously voted to make March 20, the fourth anniversary of the Iraq War, a national day of student resistance to the war.

Kati Ketz of the University of North Carolina-Asheville SDS, one of the lead organizers for the March 20 day of action, said, "It's incredibly inspiring to see students taking up this call to action and organizing on a local level. Students are becoming united and organized across the country against the war, and we're really going to see a new student movement emerge out of these actions."

"Rutgers is going to have its largest walkout since the 70's. Hundreds of students will be walking out as well as several teachers. We have such a critical mass that we even got the student governing association to endorse it," said Ian Chinich of Rutgers Against the War.

"There has been a very positive response from all of the high schools I have contacted. It seems like once one high school signed on, all of the others joined in much more readily. They saw that other kids were taking advantage of this amazing chance to create peace, and decided they should too!" said Moriah Arnold, from Green Hope High School SDS in Cary, North Carolina.

As the U.S. enters its fifth year in Iraq, the Bush administration is further escalating U.S. military presence in the midst of vast unpopularity. What started as 27 schools on the west coast striking and demonstrating on February 15th is now growing into a national student movement against the war. Tomorrow on March 20, tens of thousands of students and young people in 78 schools across the U.S. will take part in a nationwide coordinated protest.

Contact for more information:

E-mail: march20antiwar@hotmail.com
Website: march20antiwar.blogspot.com

Kati Ketz, UNC-Asheville SDS - 614-439-3978
Ian Chinich, Rutgers Against the War - 908-872-4779
Moriah Arnold, Green Hope High SDS - 443-538-6255

March 20 Organizing Reports

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These are organizing reports from schools building for March 20 actions. Email in your report on what you are doing to build for March 20 and how things are going at your school! The idea is to get ideas from these reports to use at your schools too.

Report from University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC)
Chicago, IL
March 15, 2007

On March 20th, we at the University of Illinois at Chicago have a walkout planned for 11:30am and a rally in the quad at 12:00pm with other progressive groups at UIC. During the rally we'll have several speakers. These include Bill Ayers--a former leader of SDS in the 1960s and a current professor in the UIC Education Department. A couple of members of IVAW will also be speaking as well as many others. At 4:00pm, we're calling on students across Chicago to assemble at University Center (located on State and Congress) where we're having another rally. From here, at 5:00pm we're having a student feeder march to Bughouse Square where we'll link up with the main march planned for Chicago.

In order to get a large turnout we've been doing traditional things like putting up posters across campus as well as fliering at main student gathering places. However, we also tried a new tactic. We approached progressive faculty members and asked them if we could tell students in their classes about the March 20th events and distribute fliers. Many professors were excited and agreed to this. By passing out fliers in a classroom setting we can talk to the students and describe the events in much more detail. A couple of professors even agreed to cancel their classes on the 20th.

Report from Macalester College
St. Paul, MN
March 13, 2007

In an attempt to restart conversations on the Macalester Campus (and hopefully beyond), Macalester Anti-War is planning a walkout for the 20th in the hopes that it will not be a one time action, but rather something sustaining. The plan is that there will be a student walkout at 1:30, to Bateman Plaza (in front of our campus center). We will have a microphone set up for a speak out and hopefully start conversations, but we will also have several tables with activities/crafts/art to create things. This will include stenciling, banner making, more (?) set up around the mic area. We then hope to break up into affinity groups, and encourage students who haven't been attending planning meetings for this event (as well as those who have) to organize autonomous actions around the cities during the afternoon. Potential ideas we have so far range from banner drops to protests or other demonstrations at key sites around. Hopefully it will all come together, something needs to be done. macantiwar@gmail.com

Report from Chicago SDS Chapters
Chicago, IL
March 13, 2007

UIC SDS is going to be at the M-17 demo in Washington, and there might be some folks coming from Depaul SDS. Chicago SDS is organizing a united student youth block at the University Center, also known as the superdorm since it houses students from three universities, because the military is putting in a new recruitment center there in the spring. We are also hyping up a walkout among highschoolers, people at Columbia College are going to be holding events all day with teach-ins and street theatre, UIC is holding a rally before the student bloc and I'm not sure what Depaul is doing. Elmhurst College SDS will just be attending (Hurray for having an SDS at a college with 1,500 kids with family incomes over 100,000).

Report from Winthrop University
Rock Hill, South Carolina
March 13, 2007

We are doing a walkout/ rally in front of our main auditorium on Winthrop's campus. We're located in Rock Hill, SC. We actually don't yet have a chapter of SDS at Winthrop, but the Socialist Student Union is putting together the demonstration for March 20th in alliance with SDS. We've gotten a late start, but to get the word out, we've mostly just been flyering and talking to people. I've gotten the best response from classmates and professors who I've just talked to for about 5 minutes, explaining the action and the cause, and most of them are happy to join. Hopefully, that will translate to Tuesday and actually make a successful event.

Monday, March 19th, which is the day our school starts back from spring break, we will be handbilling all day long, and trying to talk to people as much as possible, to remind those who know already and to get new people to sign on. Our faculty advisors are sending out all faculty emails to get faculty members on board. A couple of our members are making banners. Sunday before the demonstration, we are having a final organizing meeting and will be sliding quarter sheets under faculty office doors, while a few of us are going to try and get into the dorm buildings to talk to people there.

Really, we're just trying to get the word out as much as possible by actual interaction with people, so that they understand why and what we're doing and they can relate and want to join. Our contact is: winthropssu.com

Report from Kennesaw State University Greens
Kennesaw, Georgia
March 12, 2007

Here's what the Kennesaw State University Greens have going on: We're handing out flyers to build up to the events we're having and black armbands with the number 650,000 to represent the number of Iraqi dead and 3,000+ to represent the U.S. soldiers dead. We're encouraging everyone to wear them on the 20th to increase visibility.

We're participating in a "teach-in" at our senators' offices on March 19, along with a larger statewide coalition, the Georgia Peace & Justice Coalition, 9 am-4 pm. It's a basic filibuster technique to put the pressure on our senators. Although neither of them will be there, their staff will surely report back to Washington.

For actual on-campus events on March 20, we are setting up educational and interactive stations. For example, we are going to have a "wall of dissent" or canvas people can write on to share their thoughts about the war. We are also chalking names of victims of the war, setting up a station that shows the amount of money spent on war as opposed to that spent on education, and tents with information about people displaced because of the war.

Report from Animas SDS

Fort Lewis College, Colorado
March 12, 2007

Animas SDS mobilizing a Radical Youth Contingent for our local anti-war action, which is going to be on the 18th. We will also be representing at a candle-light vigil the next day. Two people will be in DC.

On the 20th we will be holding a classroom occupation action to mark the anniversary, and will be screening documentary films and holding discussions. Films we already have lined up include "Hijacking Catastrophe," "The Oil Factor," "Iraq for Sale," "The Ground Truth," "Arlington West," and more.

Thanks,

-Nathan
Animas SDS

Report from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill SDS
March 11, 2007

Here at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill we are working hard to get the word out about the walk out and rally we have planned for March 20th. For the past two weeks SDS members have been going door-to-door in the dorms asking students to pledge to leave class. We have found this to be an excellent way to engage people in brief dialogues about the war. A number of the folks we spoke with had already heard about the walk out, either from flyers around campus, seeing the Facebook group we created online, or through their friends. We are expecting to see a lot of new faces at the rally on March 20th.

Monday, March 19th is the day that UNC students get back from Spring Break. On that day we are planning a die-in at the center of campus in order to publicize the walk out. On the 20th we are going to have a really high-energy rally in this same area of campus (“the Pit,” an extremely high-traffic area at noon on a school day). We will enjoy a few brief, fiery speeches, drumming and samba music from a fantastic Greensboro group called Cackalack Thunder, and the spoken word talents of members of the UNC Black Student Movement, then we're taking it to the streets!

Good luck with all your organizing!

Sara Joseph
UNC-Chapel Hill SDS

Report from University of Illinois Chicago - Students 4 Social Justice
March 11, 2007

Plans at UIC: Walk out of Class at 11:30 a.m., march across campus. We're going to chant, "You want the troops out? Get up and walk out!," and "Want out of Iraq? Get up and walk!" (Reminder: "Iraq" rhymes with "walk"8=) Rally at noon in the center of campus, where speakers will include UIC professor Bill Ayers, a leader in Vietnam era Students for a Democrat Society,and grad student Nader Abusumayah of the Palestine Solidarity Group.

At 4:00 pm, we'll join students and youth from other schools downtown Chicago, march to Bughouse Square, join the citywide rally there, and then march down Michigan Avenue.

Report from Rutgers Against War
March 11, 2007

Rutgers Against the War originally put out the call for a walkout over a month ago. Since then, we have organized with a variety of other groups including cultural groups. We fliered buildings throughout our school multiple times, handed out 7 or 8 thousand handbills, gave speeches about the walkout in multiple classes, and dorm stormed throughout the whole school. We also began banner dropping and have already unfurled 4! Our work has been paying off. We have a list of teachers who endorsed the walkout and another one of teachers who are walking out with their students. The Rutgers College Governing Association has also recently endorsed the walkout. We currently have over 333 people RSVPed on facebook and we are expecting many more. We are expecting several hundred people to walkout.

Report from Brown SDS
March 10, 2007

Brown SDS is organizing a die-in to protest Textron, Inc., a war profiteer best known for clustser-bombs and Cobra attack helicopters. The organization, with billions in assets and 20,000 employees world-wide, has their headquarters in downtown Providence, RI. We'll head down to the HQ, where people dressed as Textron executives will stand on the landing outside the building, and with bloody hands, throw fake clusterbombs on the rest of us, who will pantomime agonizing deaths.

The street-theater is a fun, easy stunt to get some good press and embarrass the company by illustrating the effect of their company. Right now, we're contacting press and sending out calls to other students to swell our ranks. On the same day, separate from the actions, we'll be doing a banner drop off a centrally located building, something to the tune of "Not Another Death; Not Another Dollar; In Defense of US Empire"

Gainesville SDS Report
March 10, 2007

In response to the Students for a Democratic Society's call for a national student day of action against the war in Iraq ( http://www.march20antiwar.blogspot.com ), Gainesville Area SDS (http://facebook.com/group.php?gid=2217745874) is calling for a MASS DEMONSTRATION and RALLY on Tuesday March 20th, @ 1 pm in the Reitz Union Colonnade, followed by a MARCH to Tigert Hall to demand that UF: 1) provide an audit of all UF investments (totaling in the billions) and end business with companies related to the war industries; 2) inform students of all war related research being conducted on campus; 3) publicly declare UF's opposition to this illegal war and the continued occupation of Iraq.

It should be obvious by now that even a clear mandate in the electoral arena is not enough to stop this war. No longer will we make the mistake of relying on politicians to represent our voice -- we will take our demands to the streets and we will reclaim our voices as our own. We simply cannot conscionably allow these actions (and our "representatives'" inaction) to continue unopposed.

Report from Lancaster SDS
March 6, 2007

Lancaster SDS, formed only three weeks ago, plans to hold its first of many actions against military recruitment centers in Lancaster. While three weeks is not much time to recruit members as well as organize a chapter, Lancaster SDS is expecting a solid turnout on March 20th. March 20th marks the beginning of student resistance to war and imperialism in
Lancaster. Solidarity!"

Nick Martin
SDS Lancaster

Report from Moriah Arnold from Green Hope High in North Carolina
March 6, 2007

In anticipation of the March 20th student day of action, I have worked on organizing with several schools in the Cary/Raleigh area. Though being in a southern area has caused a lot of resistance from not only the administration, but also from the students, four high schools in this area alone have signed on! At my own school, Green Hope High, around thirty people have shown interest in participating. Considering the school has close to 3,000 kids, that's definitely not a lot, but the number seems to keep growing and hopefully soon there will be a lot more! We started out by going to the principal and asking about the rules regarding protesting. The only requirement by law (besides the obvious ones such as not being violent) is that we cannot cause a disturbance in the "learning day." This means lunch, before school, and after school are the easiest times to have a demonstration or rally. We decided to go a different route and call for students to wear black armbands, bandannas, or whatever else they may own that is black with peace signs on them. We are also planning on having a demonstration at lunch, consisting of about fifteen kids going from table to table with a large banner that reads something like "stop the bloodshed," while a few of the students stand in front of it and sing John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance." All of this has been approved by the principal and you CAN NOT get in trouble for participating in them. Our principal did however make it very clear that walking out would not be acceptable. We plan to do this anyway, just in much smaller numbers, since most students fear of being suspended. After we walk out, we are working on getting transportation to the rally in Chapel Hill. Other schools, such as Enloe High School (which is much more liberal), also plan to join us in walking out. I have heard ideas, such as acting out war scenes, or at a specific time having everyone in class play dead to represent everyone who has died in this war. Some groups of kids are even walking out and playing songs about the horrors of the war on their guitars. The only thing we're afraid of is the part of the student body that is very much for the war. Even the administration warned us that people who oppose our views may try push their views through violence, and since the group in my school that is still for the war is much bigger than the group that is against it right now, this could be a problem. Despite this, we will continue with our protest. In the words of Kimya Dawson, "we wont stop until somebody calls the cops, and even then we'll start again and just pretend like nothing ever happened!" I urge you all to get your school involved and help out! This is going to be a truly historic day! Good luck!

Report from Chapin Gray from SDS-Tuscaloosa, Alabama
March 6, 2007

To moblize students for the March 20th rally, we've tabled several times and passed out handbills. Our campus is 1) very enormous and 2) very conservative, so we've faced some obstacles in getting the word out. We organized a discussion about the week of student unrest that happened here back in 1970, which I think was really inspiring to a lot of students. There is basically zero activism of any type here, and even people who are strongly against the war tend to have a very defeatist attitude. We have organized a campaign to protest the shady dealings of the university administration, which has united hundreds of students. We're going to try and use that event to publicize for the 20th. We had a die-in (students laid in front of the Student Union during lunch hour in bloody t-shirts and gave antiwar speeches on a megaphone) which drew a LOT of attention to the war, as well as to SDS and the 3/20 event. Unfortunately, our spring break is the week before 3/20, which puts us at a disadvantage. Also, our chalking was buried amid candidates' names for the upcoming SGA elections, and our flyers get ripped down very quickly. Still, we should get a decent sized crowd out for the 20th, hopefully enough to march downtown to the Federal Building. I've noticed that it has really mattered that we are not acting alone that day; not only do other SDSers get excited when they hear what other chapters are up to, but people seem more committed to come to our rally when they realize it's a nation-wide event. We can't wait - it's going to be so powerful to have that many student protests on one day!

Press Release - March 12, 2007

2007-03-12T21:12:00.000-06:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 12, 2007

Movement for March 20 Student Day of Action Grows

Like a wildfire, the response to the call for a national student and youth day of action against the Iraq War has spread dramatically across the United States. In the space of just three weeks, over sixty campuses have signed onto the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) call to action-from Tuscaloosa, Alabama to Grand Rapids, Michigan; from high schools in central North Carolina to the west coast campus of UC Santa Barbara; from urban centers of Chicago, Boston, New York, and Los Angeles to rural campuses of Tennessee and Iowa-and in dozens of places in between.

The call for the protest was originally created at an SDS meeting after the School of the Americas Watch demonstration last November in Columbus, Georgia. There, over 100 organizers from 20 different schools from around the country gathered and unanimously voted to make March 20, the fourth anniversary of the Iraq War, a national day of student resistance to the war.

Kati Ketz of the University of North Carolina-Asheville SDS, one of the lead organizers for the March 20 day of action, said, "What started out as four schools participating in a day of action snowballed into 18, 25, 34, and now over 60 schools from all over the country standing up and taking action against this illegal and unjust war and occupation of Iraq. It's incredibly inspiring to see students taking up this call to action and organizing on a local level. Students are becoming united and organized across the country against the war, and we're really going to see a new student movement emerge out of these actions."

"Rutgers is going to have its largest walkout since the 70's. Hundreds of students will be walking out as well as several teachers. We have such a critical mass that we even got the student governing association to endorse it," said Ian Chinich of Rutgers Against the War.

"There has been a very positive response from all of the high schools I have contacted. It seems like once one high school signed on, all of the others joined in much more readily. They saw that other kids were taking advantage of this amazing chance to create peace, and decided they should too!" said Moriah Arnold, from Green Hope High School in Cary, North Carolina.

As the U.S. enters its fifth year in Iraq, the Bush administration is further escalating U.S. military presence in the midst of vast unpopularity. What started as 27 schools on the west coast striking and demonstrating on February 15th is now growing into a national student movement against the war. On March 20, tens of thousands of students and young people across the U.S. will take part in a nationwide coordinated protest.

Contact for more information:

E-mail: march20antiwar@hotmail.com
Website: march20antiwar.blogspot.com

Kati Ketz, UNC-Asheville SDS - 614-439-3978
Ian Chinich, Rutgers Against the War - 908-872-4779
Moriah Arnold, Green Hope High School - 443-538-6255

Press Release - March 1, 2007

2007-03-01T22:58:00.000-06:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 1, 2007

Nationwide Coordinated Protests on March 20, 2007
To Demand an Immediate End to the Iraq War

On March 20, 2007, thousands of students and young people from across the United States will demonstrate against the unjust war in Iraq. Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) has called for a national day of action on the fourth anniversary of the war.

The national call for March 20 reads: “We, students and young people here in the U.S., support the right of the Iraqi people to self-determination. We refuse to accept this new strategy to ‘expand the military,’ and reject any means the government may use to make these new troops materialize - whether through the implementation of a draft or the continued use of manipulative and deceptive recruitment techniques.”

Thus far, 35 different campuses and groups have signed on to the call, including 18 SDS chapters, and the number continues to grow.

“It is time in this country that we as students get organized against this unjust war and occupation in Iraq. Four years at war is four years too long, and Iraqis are dying everyday because of it. We need to get organized and get out into the streets! The U.S. needs to end the war in Iraq and bring all the troops home now,” says Kati Ketz of the University of North Carolina-Asheville SDS.

“The majority of the student body at the University of Alabama believes the war in Iraq is wrong, but until SDS formed, there was no way for them to voice their opposition. It’s exciting that the South is getting organized against the war, that more and more students are taking a stand against injustices,” says Chapin Gray, of SDS-Tuscaloosa. “Not only that, as part of a national student organization, our group feels like we are speaking and acting in unison with SDS chapters across the country, that we are part of something really powerful, that we are making history.”

As the U.S. enters its fifth year in Iraq, there seems to be no end in sight. Bush has called for 21,500 more troops in the midst of vast unpopularity. This also includes a military recruitment benchmark of over 90,000 – with the majority of these recruits coming from the working class and youth. It is necessary to act now in our campuses and communities to bring this to an end.

Contact for more information:

E-mail: march20antiwar@hotmail.com

Kati Ketz, UNC-Asheville SDS – 614-439-3978

Chapin Gray, SDS at Tuscaloosa – 251-605-7780

http://march20antiwar.blogspot.com

Call for March 20 Student / Youth Action Against the War

2007-02-15T14:57:00.000-06:00

The war in Iraq is entering its fifth year. Despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of citizens want the war to end, despite the fact that U.S. forces are being defeated by the Iraqi resistance, Bush recently announced plans to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq. These troops are being committed to fight and die in an unjust war based on lies and greed. Four years is four years too many. The Iraqi people want the foreign occupiers out. They know the U.S. government is not a "liberator," but whose presence means only continued violence, death, and destruction.

We, students and young people here in the U.S., support the right of the Iraqi people to self-determination. We refuse to accept this new strategy to "expand the military," and reject any means the government may use to make these new troops materialize - whether through the implementation of a draft or the continued use of manipulative and deceptive recruitment techniques. We refuse to be subtle in our outcry against this war, we refuse to do nothing and be silent while people are killed in our name for profit for the rich and we refuse to be sent overseas in a war for oil.

This past November, 100 students from twenty different college campuses came together at a Students for a Democratic Society meeting in Ft.Benning, GA and unanimously decided that March 20th be declared a national day of student and youth resistance against the war! SDS is calling on all students and youth to get out in the streets, get involved and get organized against this war! We, the students and youth of this country, are taking an active stand against US imperialism and fighting for a better world. We reject this war of greed and profit, and are walking out of our classes and taking to the streets in protest!

FIGHT THE WAR MACHINE - GET ORGANIZED, GET INVOLVED, AND GET IN THE STREETS!

SDS National Flyer for M20

2007-02-14T16:25:00.000-06:00