As part of a National Day of Action for military resisters Pablo Paredes
and Kevin Benderman, we invite you to join a picket this Tuesday May 10 at
5 pm. There's a call for a national day of action on Tuesday May
10. Meet on Library Mall on the UW-Madison campus. It is really
important that we take a stand. We can't let the military make an example
of these two. Paredes and Benderman are encouraging actions all over the
country. Below is the nationwide call for the Day of Action. Sign the
petition online to support Pablo
Paredes: <http://www.defendpablo.org/>www.defendpablo.org
Call for a National Day of Action for GI Resisters on May 10, 2005
May 1, 2005
We urge you to join us in a "National Day of Action for GI
Resisters"
on Tuesday May 10, 2005. This is the day before the US military is
planning to bring sailor Pablo Paredes and soldier Kevin Benderman
before military court martial tribunals for their opposition to the
Iraq War. They face forfeiture of pay and benefits, and military
jail time.
On December 6, 2004, Navy Petty Officer Pablo Paredes refused to
board his ship as it left the San Diego Naval Station in support of
the Iraq War and occupation. At the time of his refusal, Pablo said
he hoped his protest might inspire other GI's to refuse to take
part in the war.
On January 5, 2005, Kevin Benderman refused to deploy for a second
tour of duty in Iraq with the Army's Third Infantry Division. At the
same time seventeen other soldiers from his unit went AWOL, two
tried to kill themselves and one had a relative shoot him in the leg
to avoid deploying.
Both men applied for discharge from the US military as conscientious objectors. The military has wrongly rejected both claims.
It's time for us to escalate public pressure and action in support
of Pablo, Kevin and the thousands of other courageous men and women
who have followed their conscience to uphold international law and
to take a principled stand against the unjust, illegal war and
occupation
of Iraq. It's time we had their backs.
Objection and resistance by military servicepersons is a healthy and
important assertion of Democracy in a country where the decisions to
invade Iraq, to maintain an occupation, and engage in widespread
human right violations and torture were made undemocratically in
violation of
international law and based on continuing lies and disinformation.
Please join us by organizing a public demonstration, vigil or rally
of support on May 10. Every action, no matter how large or small is
important.
Also,
* Send letters of support and donations to cover legal fees to Pablo
and Kevin via their websites listed below.
* Come to San Diego, California (Pablo) or Fort Stewart, Georgia
(Kevin) to show your support during their trials.
* Write letters to the editor, and help educate your organization,
church, union, school, co-workers and community.
Resisting illegal occupation and war is not a crime! The right to
conscientious objection is being systematically violated by the
military. Those objectors who are publicly asserting their rights
are being singled out for punishment. We demand that military
personnel
retain their right to follow their conscience, publicly dissent and
that their basic democratic rights be respected.
A better world is possible.
