Iraq Veterans Against the War and Campus Antiwar Network Tour in Rochester Friday

This spring, anti-war students from the Campus Antiwar Network (CAN) and members of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) are hosting a nation-wide campus speaking tour to highlight the growing antiwar sentiment among veterans and active duty troops and in support of war resisters. To date, hundreds of military personnel have gone AWOL rather than be sent to fight in what they feel to be an unjust and illegal war built on lies. On top of this, the U.S. military has court-martialed a number of high profile members of the soldier’s resistance movement including Camilo Mejia, Pablo Parades, Ehren Watada and Augustin Aguayo, who refused orders rather an than kill or die for oil and empire. With the recent exposure of the Walter Reed scandal, and the Bush Administration’s record of utter disregard for veteran’s welfare, the true nature of the slogan “Support Our Troops” has been revealed. It is an empty phrase that is used by our country’s politicians in an attempt to silence critics of their wars—on the Iraqi and Afghan people, as well as their war on students and working people at home. <!--break--> As an organization committed to supporting fellow service members who have stepped forward to voice their objections to the war, IVAW has played a major role in both publicizing soldier’s grievances, and organizing effective defense campaigns around individual war resisters who have come under attack by the U.S. military. The student anti-war movement must continue, and increase, its support for anti-war soldiers and veterans as we rebuild our movement into a force that can stop the U.S. war machine in its tracks. CAN is a grassroots, democratic, and independent student network that has taken a leading role in organizing antiwar students across the country as well as supporting the fight for soldier’s and veteran’s rights. <p /><p /> This spring’s tour will highlight the growing resistance with the ranks of the military and the struggle to organize it. Soldiers in revolt played the central role in ending the Vietnam War. The hidden history of troop resistance during that period shows that a strong, confident, and well organized movement at home was a precondition for the dramatic growth of the soldier’s movement; in turn, anti-war active-duty troops and veterans provided political leadership to the broad movement once they returned stateside. <p /><p /> Join IVAW and CAN panelists to debate and discuss the next steps for the anti-war movement, organizing collectively to building a broad, inclusive movement rooted on our campuses (and barracks’ too!) that rejects war, occupation, and anti-Arab and Muslim racism at every turn. The following dates and locations have been confirmed; check www.campusantiwar.net for more listings as they appear. <p /><p /> PRESS CONFERENCE: 4:30PM – In front of Carlson Auditorium (bldg 76) Members from RIT Anti-War (Campus Antiwar Network), Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), Rochester Against War (RAW), International Socialist Organization (ISO) and more tba <p /><p /> Upcoming Locations and Dates: May 4, Rochester, NY ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY <p /> – 7PM Carlson Auditorium <p /> - Building 76: <p /> - Matt Hrutkay, Sgt. US Army, deployed to Abu Ghraib and Western Baghdad, an organizer in IVAW <p /> - Ken Love, Member of the Campus Antiwar Network and a former Army cadet. <p /> Organized by RIT Anti-war and Iraq Veterans Against the War Contact: Ken Love - 845-800-5612 / mrklove@hotmail.com

<p>This spring, anti-war students from the Campus Antiwar Network (CAN) and members of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) are hosting a nation-wide campus speaking tour to highlight the growing antiwar sentiment among veterans and active duty troops and in support of war resisters. To date, hundreds of military personnel have gone AWOL rather than be sent to fight in what they feel to be an unjust and illegal war built on lies. On top of this, the U.S. military has court-martialed a number of high profile members of the soldier’s resistance movement including Camilo Mejia, Pablo Parades, Ehren Watada and Augustin Aguayo, who refused orders rather an than kill or die for oil and empire. With the recent exposure of the Walter Reed scandal, and the Bush Administration’s record of utter disregard for veteran’s welfare, the true nature of the slogan “Support Our Troops” has been revealed. It is an empty phrase that is used by our country’s politicians in an attempt to silence critics of their wars—on the Iraqi and Afghan people, as well as their war on students and working people at home.</p> <!--break--><p> As an organization committed to supporting fellow service members who have stepped forward to voice their objections to the war, IVAW has played a major role in both publicizing soldier’s grievances, and organizing effective defense campaigns around individual war resisters who have come under attack by the U.S. military. The student anti-war movement must continue, and increase, its support for anti-war soldiers and veterans as we rebuild our movement into a force that can stop the U.S. war machine in its tracks. CAN is a grassroots, democratic, and independent student network that has taken a leading role in organizing antiwar students across the country as well as supporting the fight for soldier’s and veteran’s rights.<br /> </p><p></p> <p></p> This spring’s tour will highlight the growing resistance with the ranks of the military and the struggle to organize it. Soldiers in revolt played the central role in ending the Vietnam War. The hidden history of troop resistance during that period shows that a strong, confident, and well organized movement at home was a precondition for the dramatic growth of the soldier’s movement; in turn, anti-war active-duty troops and veterans provided political leadership to the broad movement once they returned stateside.<br /> <p></p> <p></p> Join IVAW and CAN panelists to debate and discuss the next steps for the anti-war movement, organizing collectively to building a broad, inclusive movement rooted on our campuses (and barracks’ too!) that rejects war, occupation, and anti-Arab and Muslim racism at every turn. The following dates and locations have been confirmed; check <a href="http://www.campusantiwar.net">www.campusantiwar.net</a> for more listings as they appear.<br /> <p></p> <p></p> PRESS CONFERENCE: 4:30PM – In front of Carlson Auditorium (bldg 76) Members from RIT Anti-War (Campus Antiwar Network), Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), Rochester Against War (RAW), International Socialist Organization (ISO) and more tba<br /> <p></p> <p></p> Upcoming Locations and Dates: May 4, Rochester, NY ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY<br /> <p></p> – 7PM Carlson Auditorium<br /> <p></p> - Building 76:<br /> <p></p> - Matt Hrutkay, Sgt. US Army, deployed to Abu Ghraib and Western Baghdad, an organizer in IVAW<br /> <p></p> - Ken Love, Member of the Campus Antiwar Network and a former Army cadet.<br /> <p></p> Organized by RIT Anti-war and Iraq Veterans Against the War Contact: Ken Love - 845-800-5612 / <a href="mailto:mrklove@hotmail.com">mrklove@hotmail.com</a>