Across U.S. Thousands March Against Racism

Wed Jan 23 12:35:17 EST 2008

*New York - Boston - Detroit - Cleveland - Los Angeles - Denver - 
Philadelphia - Providence - San Diego*

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MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY
MARCH AGAINST RACISM

On Monday, January 21, from coast to coast, thousands took to the 
streets to march against racism.  The Martin Luther King March Against 
Racism Coalition called for nationwide actions, saying, "There is a time 
for celebrations and there's a time for fighting. Now is a time that we 
need to fight. And fight like hell. On this King Holiday we must 
organize and march against the forces of racism, reaction and war, not 
just the war abroad but the war raging here at home. To know what's 
happening, is to know that nothing is more important than jump starting 
a multi-racial movement against racism." (read full call at 
http://troopsoutnow.org/jan21.html#call )

In New York City, more than a thousand people defied sub-freezing 
temperatures for an opening rally outside WABC, which recently put the 
racist and sexist shock-jock Don Imus back on the air. 

After a spirited march, activists then rallied outside the Time Warner 
Building, where Lou Dobbs broadcasts his nightly anti-immigrant 
program.  Dobbs eventually came out of the building, but retreated 
inside when confronted by the multinational crowd.

At the same time, activists from the Coalition joined organizers from 
across the U.S. on the streets of Jena, Louisiana, to confront a rally 
by the Nationalist Movement, a Klan-like organization.

*Other local actions included:*

*Boston:* Rally & Speak out Against Racism -- Fund Dr. King's Dream -- 
Cut the Military Budget and use the $ for Jobs, Education, Housing and 
Healthcare. End the evils of militarism, economic exploitation & racism 
-- as Dr. King asked. Join Boston city councilors, community, labor, 
immigrant rights and youth leaders and organizations. On Boston Common 
at Park St. Contact

*Cleveland:* To honor Dr. King: Challenge the Ohio prison system. Sat., 
Jan. 19, the Cleveland Lucasville Five Defense Committee will stand with 
death row inmates in their just demand for contact visits -- the right 
to embrace their loved ones. Protest outside Ohio State Penitentiary in 
Youngstown.

*Denver:* March Against Racism and War, Jan. 21st, 9:00 a.m., City Park. 
Gather at water fountain on 18th Ave. & Detroit. "Martin Luther King Jr. 
Stood for Something. Take Back Martin Luther King Day!" "...and I knew 
that I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the 
oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the 
greatest purveyor of violence in the world today: my own government."- 
Martin Luther King Jr. March for the Jena Six; Paul Childs; Frank 
Lobato; Ishmael Mena; Jamaal Bonner and all victims of police brutality; 
for the people of New Orleans; for Indigenous people; for immigrant 
workers; for all political prisoners; for the people of Iraq, 
Afghanistan, Haiti, Colombia and the oppressed around the world--Shut 
Down the War Machine! Stop Police Brutality! Long Live International 
Solidarity!

*Detroit:* 2008 MLK Day March & Rally Against War, Racism, and Poverty, 
Mon., Jan. 21, 12 p.m., Central United Methodist Church, Woodward and 
Adams, Detroit Keynote speaker: Rev. Dr. Lucius Walker, Director of 
IFCO/Pastors for Peace; For information go to www.mecawi.org

*Los Angeles:* International Action Center Forum Against Racism, 
Saturday January 26, 4343 Leimert Blvd, LA. Educational forum on the 
state of racism in the U.S., commemorating and honoring Dr. Martin 
Luther King's legacy. Special emphasis on the increased repression 
against Black people and immigrant communities. Panelists will address 
police murder and brutality, remembering victims like Tyisha Miller, 
Devon Brown and others; prison industrial complex and political 
prisoners like Mumia Abu-Jamal and the San Francisco 8; destruction of 
housing belonging to Katrina victims; how to build the struggle to free 
the Jena 6, heightened racism against immigrants, especially attacks on 
Mexican people in California; and the media's consistent distortion and 
exclusion of people of color. For more information, call 323-936-7266.

*Philadelphia:* International Action Center sponsoring a program with 
panel of speakers against Racism, Tues., Jan. 22, 7 p.m. at Calvary 
Church, 48th & Baltimore.

*Providence:* RI Poor Peoples Campaign, RI Rosa Parks Human Rights Day 
Committee and RI Peoples Assembly press conference/rally on the steps of 
the State House at 11 a.m. launching their Poor Peoples Campaign for a 
March on the Statehouse on April 4, the 40th anniversary of Dr. King's 
assassination.

*San Diego: *Monday, Jan. 21, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Community gathering at 
Martin Luther King Jr. Park, 6401 Skyline Avenue, San Diego, CA. Program 
will include drumming, the playing of Dr. King's "Beyond Vietnam: Time 
to Break the Silence" speech, poetry, spoken word, presentations by 
community activists and music. Event sponsored by San Diego King/Chávez 
Coalition for Justice and Unity. Contact: Gloria Verdieu at 619-255-4585.

/Lead Banner in NYC March, where a thousand activists braved 
sub-freezing temperatures to march against racism.
/

Lou Dobbs
/Activists  confront Lou Dobbs at MLK rally/
*Help build a grassroots movement against racism, poverty, and war!

*In the next few weeks and months, we must continue to mobilize, 
organize, and take to the streets, and we need your help.  Please 
consider making a donation online at* http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml
*

don imus
/Larry Holmes, organizer with the Martin Luther King Day March Against 
Racism Coalition, addresses rally outside of  WABC, which recently put 
racist and sexist Don Imus back on the air./

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