August 10, 2005
Iraq 'n' Roll
Remember how Live 8 eradicated starvation and poverty in Africa? Well, our boys and girls overseas better start packing up their gear, because the anti-war movement has an impending activism concert of its own.
As part of a large anti-war mobilization in DC between September 23rd – 26th, “Operation Ceasefire” will bring several music acts to the mall, including Thievery Corporation, Le Tigre, Anti-Flag, Bouncing Souls, and Head Roc, most likely with more to be announced later. For those of you who missed them last month at the 9:30 Club, this will be a great opportunity to catch Thievery Corporation, as the National Mall isn't a venue that is in danger of a sell out.
Operation Ceasefire is holding an official press conference today at noon at the National Press Club, which will yield more information and hopefully some additional acts as well. The concert is scheduled to begin on September 24th at 6:00 pm and end around 1:00 am that night. The concert is of course free, although a live CD and DVD are being planned, with proceeds going to United for Peace and Justice and the D.C. Anti-War Network.
While the prospect of being able to catch some free music may excite you more than the principles behind the concert itself, those dissident readers out there will be glad to hear that the weekend will include more than just singing. As the SeptemberACTION Collective describes it, “anti-war, global justice, anti-torture people-powered driven mobilization.” You may support our president, you may support our presence in Iraq, hell, you may even be pro-torture, but it’s hard to disagree with something as ambiguously warm and fuzzy sounding as “global justice.” A complete list of planned events can be found here. Pro-war music enthusiasts are free to infiltrate, although your safety can’t be guaranteed if you walk in wearing your “Everyone Loves A Conservative Girl” t-shirt.
(AP Photo taken by Anja Niedringhaus)
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Visit www.OpCeasefire.org for the latest event information.
...and sadly Anti-Flag is not performing anymore due to a schedule conflict... but rumor has it that there might be a surprise addition!
contact opceasefirevolunteer@yahoo.com if you can volunteer!
"people-powered driven"?
w00t! Ted Leo!
So, let's see here. We have another anti-war hipster protest band thingy here in DC and we have a 5 year remembrance of the attacks of 9-11 concert/march announced to support the troops overseas...hmmm...wonder which will be better attended? Wonder which one will be more "relevant"? Yeah, I guessed the "DC Peace Network" supported one, too. Give me a break.
www.americasupportsyou.mil
w00t! More irrelevance! More moonbats!
Support the troops! Spout meaningless aphorisms praising heroism instead of thinking critically about the administration, its woeful policy, and the havoc Bush is wreaking on the nation's military families! Right on, Chris.
LOUD...NOISES!
I am absolutely against the war in Iraq. I think that while we should have our troops fight to protect this country, we should not send them to kill for this country. There is a difference. That said, even though the concert seems cool, it is a total missplacement of energy. This is NOT how we are going to send a message to the administration, or anyone else for that matter. We need to focus on changing the public opinion on the war - we can celebrate after.
Deric, you're right that we need to focus on changing public opinion, but there's no reason why we can't have some fun while doing that. We need (media) visibility, we need to remind ourselves that we're not alone, and we need to be welcoming and positive and vibrant.
What better way to achieve all that than a big party ?
I am for the war, but against the use of guns. Can we petition Bush to arm all troops with water balloons?
i say we stop global production of bullets, general ordinance, and sharp objects. also, ted leo is amazing. and nationalism is for drones/the short sighted. where will the nation be in 1000 years i ask you? fight for something more permanent.
Aww now Deric, you're assuming that the modern day peace and global justice movement (if it's coherent enough to be described that way) is addressing questions like: "Will we persuade people to change their views?" or "Will what we do result in change?" And well, that's just crazy thought.
Naww, it's speaking to the choir... and singing to them, thwapping drums with them, marching in circles with them. That sort of thing. Everything but actually focusing on persuasion and change. It's the sort of thing that gets you to start musing over COINTELPRO operations and the like--I mean really, a person's left grasping for anything to explain why such otherwise very bright and well meaning folks are engaged in such bad idea theater.
I don't entirely agree with everything in his article critiquing the direction of the global justice movement, but Andy Cornell sure summed up things well with his title: "Who Needs Ends When We've got Such Bitchin' Means." (*)
That said, I'm looking forward to what sounds like a great show for some good (if fuzzy) causes, bad tactics and all. (p.s. Unless it's an all accoustic concert, I'm thinking "people-powered driven" has got to be the daftest expression I've herad in a very, very long time.)
John, it's not a question of either we try to persuade war supporters or we throw a party. There's no reason why both can't happen. In fact, looking at some of the recent polling data, it looks like our "choir" is big and growing. We won't be able to fit them all on the Mall.
Even if no one is persuaded at or through Op Ceasefire, it will still be a worthwhile event. As worthwhile as any that weekend. Don't discount fun. Fun is good, fun is important. Would you want to be part of any movement that shunned fun? No, me neither.
"people-powered driven"?
We'll be hooking people up to virtual reality devices and sucking out their sweet sweet spinal fluid to power our spaceships, duh.
GOD. DON'T YOU READ THE NEWSPAPERS?!
Between Iraq and a hard place would have been a better title.