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Contact: Ty Moore @ 612.760.1980
AT THIS MOMENT THOUSANDS OF HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE TWIN CITIES TO WALKOUT TO PROTEST THE RNC
STUDENTS CONVERGE ON THE STATE CAPITOL TO DEMAND AN END TO THE WAR IN IRAQ ON THE 4th DAY OF THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
[TWIN CITIES - Thursday September 4th] Thousands of college and high school students are walking out of class on the final day of the RNC, to demand an end to the occupation in Iraq and money for schools, not war. Students are converging on the steps of the State Capitol for a rally and mock trial. Police have already detained volunteers handing out leaflets for the strike and high school administrators have warned student organizers about organizing a walkout.
Organizers anticipate thousands of students to walkout and convergence to the State Capitol for a rally featuring music and various speakers at 12 PM and will conclude with a peaceful march to Harriet Island to join demonstrators for the Peace Island Picnic and a symbolic mock trial of the war criminals. The trial itself will be audience-interactive and feature testimony from the real-life victims of the government's actions, including members of Military Families Speak Out. The verdict will be decided at Harriet Island, where all in attendance will be the given the role of the jury to decide the fate of the war criminals, represented by giant puppets of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Big Oil Bob.
The message of the student strike will be clear: The presence and policies of the RNC officials is unwelcome here. While the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul roll out the red carpet for the convention, "we say no to business as usual while the people responsible for the killing of hundreds of thousands of ordinary Iraqis, Afghans, and U.S. soldiers come to our city to plot their next steps" said Desarae Walker, a sophomore at the University of Minnesota. "We are tired of paying for a war with no end in sight."
Youth Against War and Racism, a Twin Cities-based high school anti-war and counter-military recruitment group. This will be the 4th walkout in the last 3 years organized by YAWR. Previous walkouts have drawn up to 2000 youth from the Twin Cities and surrounding suburbs in spirited, enthusiastic displays of civic engagement and opposition to the war in Iraq. Youth Against War and Racism's most recent victories include winning restrictions on military recruiters in Minneapolis high schools in February 2008.
AT THIS MOMENT THOUSANDS OF HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE TWIN CITIES TO WALKOUT TO PROTEST THE RNC
STUDENTS CONVERGE ON THE STATE CAPITOL TO DEMAND AN END TO THE WAR IN IRAQ ON THE 4th DAY OF THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
[TWIN CITIES - Thursday September 4th] Thousands of college and high school students are walking out of class on the final day of the RNC, to demand an end to the occupation in Iraq and money for schools, not war. Students are converging on the steps of the State Capitol for a rally and mock trial. Police have already detained volunteers handing out leaflets for the strike and high school administrators have warned student organizers about organizing a walkout.
Organizers anticipate thousands of students to walkout and convergence to the State Capitol for a rally featuring music and various speakers at 12 PM and will conclude with a peaceful march to Harriet Island to join demonstrators for the Peace Island Picnic and a symbolic mock trial of the war criminals. The trial itself will be audience-interactive and feature testimony from the real-life victims of the government's actions, including members of Military Families Speak Out. The verdict will be decided at Harriet Island, where all in attendance will be the given the role of the jury to decide the fate of the war criminals, represented by giant puppets of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Big Oil Bob.
The message of the student strike will be clear: The presence and policies of the RNC officials is unwelcome here. While the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul roll out the red carpet for the convention, "we say no to business as usual while the people responsible for the killing of hundreds of thousands of ordinary Iraqis, Afghans, and U.S. soldiers come to our city to plot their next steps" said Desarae Walker, a sophomore at the University of Minnesota. "We are tired of paying for a war with no end in sight."
Youth Against War and Racism, a Twin Cities-based high school anti-war and counter-military recruitment group. This will be the 4th walkout in the last 3 years organized by YAWR. Previous walkouts have drawn up to 2000 youth from the Twin Cities and surrounding suburbs in spirited, enthusiastic displays of civic engagement and opposition to the war in Iraq. Youth Against War and Racism's most recent victories include winning restrictions on military recruiters in Minneapolis high schools in February 2008.