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Houston
Mar 03 2009
 Winter Soldier Iraq and Afghanistan comes to Austin

Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan featured testimony from U.S. veterans who served in those occupations, giving an accurate account of what is really happening day in and day out, on the ground. We were able to catch most of the testimony from 2 panels of IVAW members and others with direct experience with the War in Iraq and "War on Terror." It took place in the Central Austin Presbyterian Church in downtown Austin. The sanctuary of the church was full with around 200 people.

There were a number of people from Houston including folks with Veterans for Peace, Military Families Speak Out and Houston IVAW. Brandon Neely of Houston IVAW was on the first panel and spoke on his experience as a military police officer at Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Cuba. While much of the testimony was sad and distressing, the room was full of positive energy with frequent outbreaks of clapping and cheering, and many people sharing amazing work being done to show non-military options for youth, help people in active duty get out of the military and show opposition to the war.

At the end of the testimony, at 5pm we undertook a brisk and loud march through downtown Austin with banners, signs and loud chanting that ended at City Hall for a rally. [full article and photos] More photo

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ATX
May 03 2006
 May Day Report

Well over 10,000 people took to the streets in Austin this May Day to demand justice for immigrant communities. The crowd gathered at the capital, marched down Congress Avenue to Cesar Chavez, and proceeded to Cantu Park for a celebration.

The crowd was overwhelmingly composed of working people of color, students, and their families, supported by a strong presence of activists, academics and other allies. The tone of the event was critical and celebratory with demands for dignity, justice, and sane policy accompanied by affirmations of ethnic, national and cultural identity. It was a coming together of many different groups of people under many banners with rhetoric ranging from calls to vote to calls for prolonged struggle. The march culminated in a community gathering at Cantu Park that had the feel of a festival. Musicians, dancers and speakers reflected the sentiment of the crowd. This crowd was at once creative and oppositional, affirming lives and identities while defying the racist practices, discourses and policies we are all too familiar with.

At the capital, the crowd gathered early, thousands of people were already rallying and chanting as I arrived half and hour before the announced gathering time. I was immediately struck, as with at the other recent immigrant rights demonstrations, with the composition of the crowd. I saw faces of working people, their families and students everywhere. It was amazing to see so many people who took off from work, school, or other responsibilities, possibly at great risk, to stand up, walk, and participate in making history.
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