Activists plan massive march on Wall St. Dec 1 Across the U.S., cities declare Rosa Parks Day
Activists plan massive march on Wall St. Dec 1 Across the U.S., cities declare Rosa Parks Day
NYC: Wall Street & Broadway 2-6pm
Nov. 19, 2005--Yesterday (Friday), a New York City Council committee unanimously passed a resolution declaring December 1 as Rosa Parks Day and calling on local businesses and schools to close or allow people to leave early to participate in a massive rally on Wall Street. Activists and elected officials who testified at the hearing included Brenda Stokley of NYC Labor Against the War; Clarence Thomas of the Million Worker March Movement; Nellie Bailey of the Harlem Tenants Council; City Comptroller William C. Thompson; Rev. Herbert Daughtry, National Presiding Minister of The House of the Lord Churches; Nana Soul of Artists and Activists United for Peace; Larry Holmes of the Troops Out Now Coalition; LeiLani Dowell and Mia Cruz of FIST (Fight Imperialism Stand Together); Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz; and Eric Anders-Nilsson of the Jersey City Peace Movement.
Similar resolutions have been passed in Boston, New York City, Oalkland CA, Baltimore, Detroit, and Cleveland. Ohio and Michigan have declared December 1 as Rosa Parks Day statewide.
To read the text of the Boston and NYC resolutions, go to www.RosaParksDay.org
On December 1, a coalition of trade unionists, community organizers, antiwar activists, and Civil Rights leaders, joined by thousands of people from across the region, will rally on Wall Street as part of the National Day of Absence Against Poverty, Racism, and War.
"We're going to march on December 1, the fiftieth anniversary of the arrest of Rosa Parks because we believe that the best way to honor her is to continue the struggle," said Larry Holmes, an organizer of the National Day of Absence. "We are expecting people from all over the region to fill the streets demanding an end to the occupation of Iraq, justice for Katrina survivors, jobs at a living wage, and money for healthcare & housing, not war. Speakers will include veterans of the Montgomery bus Boycott, elected officials, national civil rights leaders, labor leaders, veterans, and military families."
"This march comes at a crucial time, as antiwar sentiment is sweeping the country," Holmes continued. "Everyone now knows that the Bush Administration lied to justify the war, and more than 100,000 Iraqis and 2,100 U.S. soldiers are dead because of those lies. Meanwhile, jobs and affordable housing are disappearing, education budgets are being slashed, and millions of people are without healthcare. Add to that the announcement from FEMA that it plans to evict tens of thousands Katrina survivors on December 1, and it becomes clear that now is the time to act. In New York City and in cities across the U.S. we are expecting tens of thousands people in the streets against poverty, racism, and war."
Rosa Parks Day Memorial Coalition 39 W. 14th St. #206 NY NY 10011 www.RosaParksDay.org
Contact: Larry Holmes 212-633-6646, Dustin Langley 917-293-1138