WASHINGTON – On Wednesday June 13 at 10 AM, a group of students from across the country will join together with Congresswomen Barbara Lee and Maxine Waters to kick off the first all-student lobby day on the War in Iraq. The day of lobbying is part of Iraq Action Camp – a week of activism training for college students. The rally will also feature comments from veterans of the Iraq war.
WHO: Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D – CA)
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D – CA)
Veterans of the War in Iraq
WHAT: Rally to Kick Off All-Student Lobby Day
WHEN: Wednesday, June 13, 2007 10:00 AM ET
WHERE: Taft Memorial Park, Constitution Ave. between New Jersey Ave. and First St. NW
As public sentiment builds against the war in Iraq, students are pressuring Congress to stand up to the President and end the war. The students at Iraq Action Camp are just one piece of a larger movement against the war. As the surge strategy has failed to secure Baghdad, Americans are demanding an end to a strategy that has failed.
“These students are in Washington to tell Congress that it’s time to end the war and bring our troops home,” said Ramya Raghavan, an organizer for Campus Progress Action.
Some students have long been engaged on the Iraq War issue on campuses across the country, but next Wednesday will be the first time an all student corps of volunteers has taken to Capitol Hill to lobby their members of Congress. Now these students will speak with their leaders in Congress and make their case directly. The students will be meeting with representatives from their home districts, asking them to support legislation to end the war in Iraq.
The Iraq Action Camp is a 5-day intensive training for college and university students to come to Washington DC, cost free, and build the skills to bring the Iraq War to a halt. They will split their time between the Greenbelt Park campsite and the Center for American Progress, campfire discussions and campaign strategy sessions.
The Iraq Action Camp is a partnership between MoveOn.org Civic Action and Campus Progress Action, and have received strong support from Americans Against the Escalation in Iraq, United States Student Association, and the Center for American Progress Action Fund.