SHUT DOWN THE IRS / SHUT DOWN THE WAR
On March 19, 2008, we will set up a nonviolent blockade of the national Internal Revenue Service headquarters in Washington, DC, as part of the day of actions against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Just as military recruiters supply the bodies for the war, the IRS supplies the funding. Just as some soldiers have the courage to resist the war, we — as tax payers — should have the courage to resist paying the taxes that send soldiers to war. We call on all war opponents to help dramatize our opposition and to disrupt business as usual by joining this nonviolent blockade.
For at least this one day — March 19, 2008 — we need to create a disturbance in the smug complacency of the IRS/Pentagon money-axis.
The Scenario
We will gather in our affinity groups at 7 am on Wednesday morning, March 19, at McPherson Sq., 15th & K Sts. NW. From these areas we will march — with the Rude Mechanical Orchestra — to the IRS main entrance at 1111 Constitution Ave. (at 12th Street), NW, and across from the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History. Once at the entrance, some of us will sit down to prevent the IRS from opening as usual, while others will hold signs and banners, pass out flyers, talk with passersby, and generally call attention to the cost of the war and our collective responsibility to stop funding it.
Legal Information
Click on this 5yearstoomany link to find a summary of legal information for Washington, DC, particular for those risking arrest.
Also, be sure to look at these other legal resources:
"Dealing with the Police” by the Midnight Special Law Collective
“Demonstration Manual — Know Your Rights!” by the DC Justice & Solidarity Collective
Resources
Click on an image to download a PDF of the call-to-action flyer. The flyer on the left is two-up on a page, so print then cut in half. The flyer on the right is a full sheet. Click here for a B&W version of the flyer to the right. The flyer below left is also 2-up on a page. Click here for a black and white version of that flyer.
“Where Your Income Tax Money Really Goes” — the War Resisters League tax pie chart analysis of the proposed 2009 federal budget.
Click on the image to the right to download the flyer we are using on March 19, the day of the demonstration, at the IRS.
Nonviolence Guidelines
For the purpose of building trust and a common foundation for safety, and ensure that we act in the spirit of nonviolence, participants in the action agree to the following:
• Our attitude will be one of openness and respect toward people we encounter.
• We will not use physical violence or verbal abuse toward any person.
• We will not damage any property.
• We will not bring or use any alcohol or drugs other than for medical purposes.
• We will not carry weapons.
Affinity Groups & Nonviolence Training
March 16 (Sunday), Manhattan, Local 1199, 330 W. 42 St., 9th floor, 1 - 4 pm
March 17 (Monday), Washington, DC, Warehouse Theatre, 1017 7th St. NW, two sessions: 1- 4:30 pm, and 6 - 9 pm
March 18 (Tuesday), Washington, DC, Warehouse Theatre, 1017 7th St. NW, noon - 3 pm
FINAL AFFINITY GROUP MEETING: March 18 (Tuesday), Washington, DC, Warehouse Theatre, 1017 7th St. NW (near New York Ave.), 6 - 8 pm
Transportation and Housing
The United for Peace & Justice has set up a ride board and a housing board at its 5yearstoomany Web site.
Mass housing available Sunday night (Mar. 16) through Tuesday night (Mar. 18). If you need housing, please email Leslie Harris at jharris866@aol.com. Make sure to include your name, email, cell phone number, and which nights you will need housing. All housing available is floor space— please bring a sleeping bag and anything else you need. UfPJ also has a list of affordable housing in DC.
Public Buses from NYC: For Greyhound, there is an E-ticket discount (the code is NYDCR). The two main Chinatown bus companies leave from 88 East Broadway (near "East Broadway" stop on the F train). Apex has buses at 7 AM, 8, 9:45, 10, 11, 1 PM, 1:30, 3, 4 pm, drop off at 610 I Street NW in Washington, DC. New Century leaves at 7, 8, 9, 10:50, 1:30 and 3 pm drop off at 513 H NW in DC. Both buses are $20 each way and drop off near the METRO (Gallery Place). Greyhound leaves from the Port Authority Bus Terminal at 7 am, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 1 pm, 2, 3, 4 and is $22 each way, if you use an E-ticket. The terminal in DC is at 1005 I St. NE, which is not close to a METRO station.
Sponsoring Organizations
War Resisters League, United for Peace and Justice, Code Pink, Socialist Party USA/NYC, Ground Zero for Peace, Jonah House, Brooklyn for Peace, Green Party of Brooklyn, Park Slope Greens, Witness Against Torture, National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee, Ya-Ya Network, Movement for a Democratic Society (MDS Staten Island, Jacksonville MDS, MDS Austin, Central Florida MDS, SF Bay Area chapters), Kairos, Raging Grannies/NYC, Granny Peace Brigade/NYC, Mouths Wide Open, ART, Artists Against the War, The Critical Voice, New York Collective of Radical Educators (list in formation)
Other March 13th - 19th Actions
March 13-16, Winter Soldier: UFPJ is committed to providing major support to Iraq Veterans Against the War and its Winter Soldier hearings in Washington, DC, on March 13-16. We will help local groups plan events that directly link to and amplify the Winter Soldier hearings, where those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as Iraqis and Afghans, will tell the nation the real story of this war.
March 19, Mass Nonviolent Direct Action in Washington, DC: UFPJ has initiated the planning and organizing for what we hope will be the largest day of nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience yet against the war in Iraq. We encourage people to be in Washington, DC, on March 19th to be part of the civil disobedience, or to assist in support work. We are working to have all 50 states represented in this massive action.
March 19, Local Actions Throughout the Country: We encourage those who are not able to make it to Washington on March 19 to organize local actions. These actions may vary in location or character, but they will all be tied to the protest in Washington and all sending a message to the policy makers: It is time to end this war and occupation!
For more information, go to www.5yearstoomany.org.
How to Get Involved
For more information about this action, to become a sponsor, or to learn how to get involved, e-mail us or call 718-768-7306.
cartoon by Rini Templeton
