The statement below was released by the ANSWER Coalition. The Party for Socialism and Liberation is a member organization of ANSWER and has endorsed the Feb. 4 actions.
The ANSWER Coalition is calling on everyone to join a demonstration or to organize one on the
National Day of Action on Saturday, February 4, to demand: “No War on Iran, No
Sanctions, No Intervention, No Assassinations.”
The U.S.-led campaign to bring
about regime change is escalating. Just today, the European Union announced a
complete embargo of Iranian oil. Taken together with the other economic
sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its allies, this is a campaign meant to
impose maximum suffering on the people of Iran by destabilizing and destroying
the country’s economy. At the same time,
covert action inside the country, including assassinations, sabotage and drone
over flights, is intensifying. U.S. military bases surround Iran, while
nuclear-armed U.S. aircraft carriers and Trident submarines sit right off its
cost.
The pretext for this aggression against another country in
the strategic Persian Gulf region is that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, an
assertion that Iranian leaders have denied. The utter hypocrisy of this charge
by the world’s leading nuclear weapons power and its nuclear-armed allies,
including Israel, Britain and France, could not be clearer.
U.S. seeks to repeat history
Sixty years ago, the U.S. and British imposed a worldwide
embargo on Iranian oil in response to the nationalization of the country’s
petroleum resources by the Mossadegh government, the first democratically elected government in Iran’s history. The
embargo weakened the government enough so that in 1953 the U.S. CIA was able to
carry out a coup, and place the Shah (king) back on the throne. For the next 25 years, the Shah served a
extremely brutal agent of the U.S., killing up to 100,000 Iranians in the regime’s
notorious torture chambers, and turning the country’s resources over to U.S.
oil companies and banks.
Twenty-one years ago the U.S. pushed the UN Security Council
a total blockade of Iraq. Thirteen years of sanctions killed more than a
million Iraqis and severely weakened the country, paving the way for the 2003
invasion and an occupation which killed a million more Iraqis and killed and
wounded tens of thousands of U.S. and other occupying troops.
Now is the time to take action to stop the war that has
already started against Iran before it escalates. We hope that you will join us
in cities where demonstrations are already scheduled, or organize a protest if one is not yet
planned in your city, town or campus.
Partial list of scheduled events:
If you or someone in your area is organizing an event on or around Feb. 4, please provide the ANSWER Coalition with the event details by clicking here so it may be publicized online and in future ANSWER email announcements.
Washington, DC
Saturday, Feb. 4 at 12 noon
White House
Chicago, IL
Saturday, Feb. 4 at 12 noon
Federal Plaza for march and rally
50 W Adams (Adams and Dearborn)
Los Angeles, CA
Saturday, Feb. 4 at 12 noon
Location to be announced – call ANSWER at 213-251-1025
Minneapolis, MN
Saturday, Feb. 4 at 3pm
Mayday Plaza
301 Cedar Ave. South (at 3rd Street)
Nashville, TN
Saturday, Feb. 4 at 2pm
Gather at Legislative Plaza
6th Ave. between Charlotte & Union
New York City, NY
Saturday, Feb. 4 at 1pm
Duffy Square
47th St. and 7th Ave.
Richmond, VA
Saturday, Feb. 4 at 12pm
Gather at Federal Courthouse
701 East Broad Street
San Francisco, CA
Saturday, Feb. 4 at 12 noon
Gather at Powell and Market for march and rally
(BART to Powell St. Station)
Seattle, WA
Wednesday, Feb. 1
Rally at Westlake Park at 3:30pm
March to the Federal Building at 4:30pm
Tampa, FL
Saturday, Feb. 4 at 12 noon
March on MacDill Air Force Base CENTCOM
7115 S Boundary Blvd.
If you or someone in your area is organizing an event on or around Feb. 4, please provide the ANSWER Coalition with the event details by clicking here so it may be publicized online and in future ANSWER email announcements.
ENDORSED BY: American
Iranian Friendship Committee • ANSWER Coalition • Antiwar.com • Bail
Out The People Movement (BOPM) • Cindy Sheehan, National Co-ordinator of
Peace of the Action • CODEPINK Women for Peace • ComeHomeAmerica.us •
David Swanson, Author, “When the World Outlawed War” • Defenders for
Freedom, Justice & Equality-Virginia • Delegation’s Journey through
the Islamic Republic” • George Phillies, Editor for Liberty for America •
Granny Peace Brigade • International Action Center (IAC) • Karla
Hansen, Producer/Director “Silent Screams” • Malcolm X Center for Self
Determination • Minnesota Peace Action Coalition • Movement for a
Democratic Society (MDS) • Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) • Peace of the Action •
Phil Wilayto, Author, “In Defense of Iran: Notes from a U.S. Peace •
Ramsey Clark, Former US Attorney General, awarded UN Human Rights Award •
Ray McGovern, Veterans for Peace • Refugee Apostolic Catholic Church •
SI! Solidarity with Iran • St. Pete for Peace • Twin Cities Peace
Campaign • United National Anti-War Committee (UNAC) • Veterans for
Peace – NYC Chapter 034 • Waco Friends of Peace • WAMM, Women Against
Military Madness • We Won’t Fly • WESPAC Foundation • Workers World
Party • World Can’t Wait
Please make an urgently needed donation today
to help the ANSWER Coalition carry out the critical work it does in
opposition to war, intervention and sanctions. We are consistently
mobilizing public opinion to say No to the threats against Iran, No to
war in Afghanistan and NO to the lies that keep this country in a state
of perpetual war. This is a central task for all progressive movements
in this country. The ANSWER Coalition can’t do this work without the generous
contributions and self-sacrificing support from individuals like you. Please donate today!
