Please Circulate Widely: Students & Youth! Protest NATO & the G8 in Chicago

[Students for a Democratic Society]

Students & Youth: Protest the NATO Summit in Chicago MAY 20, 2012

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Recently, the Obama Administration decided to split the NATO/G8 Summit - the G8 will now be meeting at Camp David the 17-18 of May. NATO remains in Chicago, but they will be holding their meeting the 20-21 of May. At a recent press conference, CANG8, the coalition SDS is a part of mobilizing for these major demonstrations, announced its intentions to make SUNDAY, MAY 20TH the major day for protests. Please note this important update, and we'll see you on the streets of Chicago in May!

As students and youth of the United States, we see our economy, side by side with other nations across the world, deteriorating. While jobs are being slashed and social services are cut, the cost of education only continues to grow. While students are forced to work and go to school full-time just to pay for books, our government is pouring trillions of dollars into wars and occupations abroad that result in thousands of deaths, claiming that there is no money to be found for social services like: education, housing and health care. Ending the wars would mean trillions of dollars of savings annually that could be spent on human needs here in the United States! We want money for EDUCATION not for war!

At the invitation of the White House, military and civilian representatives of the 28-nation US-commanded and largely US-financed North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are meeting in Chicago on May 20th, 2012.

On MAY 20TH, representatives of NATO will be meeting in Chicago to determine global policies that will affect OUR future. Students for a Democratic Society, alongside other students, is mobilizing to spread the message that the people's needs come before corporate profit.

Will you join the student contingent in Chicago on May 20th to protest NATO and lift the following demands?

WE DEMAND that U.S./NATO begin an immediate withdrawal from Afghanistan.
WE DEMAND that money be spent for education, not for global conflict. Education is the future of a democratic society.
WE WILL PROTEST the NATO meeting in Chicago and join the student contingent on Sunday, May 20th.

Sign the pledge online

Students for a Democratic Society is circulating the below call to action from the Coalition Against NATO and the G8 War & Poverty Agenda:

(please forward widely)     Sunday, May 20, Chicago. SAY NO to the WAR and POVERTY AGENDA. Noon rally at Petrillo Bandshell (corner of Jackson and Columbus), then march to McCormick Place. (people's Summit on May 12 & 13)   Join Jesse Jackson, SEIU Health Care Illinois/Indiana (HCII), UNAC, Chicago Teachers Union, Kathy Kelly of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, National Nurses United, United Electrical Workers Western Region, Malik Mujahid of the Muslim Peace Coalition, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Veterans for Peace, Glen Ford of Black Agenda Report, Derrick O’Keefe of the Canadian Peace Alliance, Reiner Braun of the No to War, No to NATO Network, Germany, Occupy Chicago, CANG8(Coalition Against NATO and the G8 War and Poverty Agenda) and many others to oppose the NATO and G8 war and poverty agenda. Mass demonstration on Sunday, May 20, the opening day of the NATO summit 9 am, march with veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who will return their medals to NATO. the march will start at Grant Park. Noon, join the permitted mass march and rally against the NATO and G8 war and poverty agenda. Noon rally at Petrillo Bandshell (corner of Jackson and Columbus), then march to McCormick Place. Speakers will include: Jesse Jackson - Operation PUSH Malalai Joya – former member of Afghan Parliament Reiner Braun – No to War, No to NATO Network, Germany Kathy Kelly – Voices for Creative Nonviolence Vijay Prashad – author of Arab Spring, Libyan Winter     and more People Summit, Saturday, May 12 and Sunday May 13 at Occupy Chicago. There will be plenary and workshop sessions and panels. Speakers will include:  Malalai Joya – former member of Afghan Parliament  Reiner Braun – No to War, No to NATO Network, Germany  Malik Mujahid – Muslim Peace Coalition  Kathy Kelly – Voices for Creative Nonviolence  Col. Ann Wright – Quit army in protest of Iraq War                         Medea Benjamin – Code Pink                         Mumia Abu Jamal (message)                            and more             for more information on the Peoples' Summit, click here Click here to hear Jesse Jackson speaking about his support for the May 20 NATO demonstration. Click here for Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Mairead Maguire’s rebuff of U.S. State Department on the upcoming NATO summit.   click here to donate to UNAC Click here for the Facebook UNAC group.    To remove yourself from the UNAC listserv, please send an email to:      UNAC-uns...@lists.riseup.net   To add yourself to the UNAC listserv, please send an email to:       UNAC-su...@lists.riseup.net