IAWM PRESS RELEASE 190512
IAWM SUPPORTS THE PROTESTS AGAINST NATO IN CHICAGO THIS WEEKEND
The Irish Anti War Movement issued a statement today supporting the planned protests in Chicago against NATO in Chicago this weekend. Two representatives from the broader anti war movement in Ireland will join the protests and meetings over the weekend.
IAWM PRESS RELEASE 190512
IAWM SUPPORTS THE PROTESTS AGAINST NATO IN CHICAGO THIS WEEKEND
The Irish Anti War Movement issued a statement today supporting the planned protests in Chicago against NATO in Chicago this weekend. Two representatives from the broader anti war movement in Ireland will join the protests and meetings over the weekend.
Speaking in support of the anti NATO protests Jim Roche, PRO of the IAWM said:
"The war and occupation of Afghanistan, one of the poorest and war-torn countries in the world, by up to 129,000 NATO troops has brought nothing but death and destruction to the Afghan people over the last 10 years. It has cost billions of Euros, which could have been invested in useful peaceful projects in both Afghanistan and in the countries whose leaders have waged this war. Britain alone has spent over £17 billion on the military venture. Thousands of Afghans have been killed and many more horribly wounded. NATO countries have also suffered huge losses, with 129 troops killed alone this year. Two were killed yesterday when a rocket slammed into a US base and two more last week were killed allegedly by members of the Afghan forces".
"The NATO conference will be a big smokescreen to hide the fact that America’s longest war is lost and that most of the NATO countries want to withdraw. Newly elected French President has pledged to withdraw French troops by the end of this year – two years ahead of the US schedule. There seems to be huge disagreement among the leaders of NATO countries as to what to do. There is also huge discontent growing among ordinary citizens over the horrific carnage of the war and the huge financial cost at a time that they are encountering severe austerity from their political masters."
"Ireland’s contribution to this war and occupation has been a sorry affair. It is disgraceful that seven Irish troops have been serving in ISAF under NATO command and that the civilian airport at Shannon has been used for the last 10 years for the transfer of US military personnel and rendition flights. It is also disgraceful that Ireland is represented at the NATO conference in Chicago this weekend by the political director of the Department of Foreign Affairs, David Donoghue. This shows that successive Irish Governments, for all their claims to neutrality, are in fact happy to participate in imperialist wars and occupations against the wishes of the Irish people."
Jim Roche, PRO Steering Committee IAWM, Tel. 087 6472737
John Molyneux Steering Committee IAWM, Tel. 085 7356424
Daryl Southern, Coordinator, Steering Committee IAWM, Tel. 085 277 6505
@IrishAntiWarMvt <https://twitter.com/#!/IrishAntiWarMvt> 
Find us on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/groups/25608030879/>
Occupy Chicago Press Announcement:
This week the world will be watching the historic events unfolding in Chicago, where thousands of Americans as well as international guests are gathering to join with Chicagoans to protest the NATO and G8 Summits.
The NATO Summit will take place on May 20th and 21st in Chicago. In anticipation of large-scale demonstrations, the Obama administration decided to remove the G8 Summit on May 19th to the less accessible Camp David in Maryland, but the protests in Chicago are also against G8.
The umbrella organization for the large demonstration on May 20th is the Coalition Against the NATO/G8 War and Poverty Agenda (CANG8), and the Occupy movement is working closely with CANG8. NATO and G8 represent the interests of the global 1% and are against the interests of the global 99%, and increasing militarization and worldwide interventions of NATO, as well as continuing occupations as in Afghanistan, are directly linked to the growing inequality and impoverishment throughout the world.
While there have been protests in Europe against NATO for decades and demonstrations against the NATO Summits in Strasbourg in 2009 and in Lisbon in 2010, this is the first time that large numbers of Americans are discussing and challenging NATO. A very broad coalition has formed that includes leading personalities and organizations from many communities: black, immigrant, Muslim, labor, women, gay/lesbian, environmental, anti-nuclear, religious, and many, many more. The demonstration on May 20th will be led by U.S. war veterans who will return their war medals in protest.
The following link will bring you to most of the key Websites, press releases, press contacts, and scheduled events regarding the protests of NATO/G8 in Chicago. We will not be able to send you frequent press releases, but we will be updating this site daily:
http://www.tinyurl.com/natopresskit
In addition, if you would like to send me the name and contact information of the journalist(s) from your organization who will be covering this story, we will be happy to add him or her to our press list.
Sincerely,
Elsa Rassbach
Occupy Chicago International (English/German-Language) Media Contact
+1 773-961-5499, elsarassbach@gmail.com
