Youth Philadelphia Area War Resistance

Philadelphia-Area Youth Demonstrate Against War on Iraq

Books not Bombs! Stop Racist Attacks!

The Bush administration is intent on plunging the United States into an illegitimate and pre-emptive war that will only increase danger for Americans, Iraqis and the people of the world. At the same time education, healthcare, and the economy are being neglected. It's time for youth and students to take a stand for our planet and our future! Join with tens of thousands across the country as a part of a national student strike and the national moratorium to stop the war on Iraq! See the information below to get involved, or read our press release.

Events planned for March 5th:

Student and youth rally, Philadelphia City Hall [map], 4:00 pm. Confirmed speakers include Philadelphia city councilman Angel Ortiz, author of Philadelphia's successful anti-war resolution; students from participating high schools, colleges and universities, including Fred Pinguel of the Philadelphia Student Union; Coleman Watts, a young activist from the Iraq Pledge of Resistance; Amna Sayed Parvez, from the Al-Aqsa Islamic Society; Tonya Wenger, from Global Women's Strike, and representatives from Not In Our Name, Unite for Peace, Kensington Welfare Rights Union, and the University of the Poor's School for Student Organizing. The event will also include music and theatre performances and the spoken word group Excelano Project with Carlos Gomez. For more information contact youth_pawr@yahoo.com.

City-wide civil disobedience, two opportunities: The Iraq Pledge of Resistance is planning the blockading of buildings and other actions in the early afternoon. For more information contact awadswor@sas.upenn.edu. Why War? will be organizing direct action following the 4:00 pm rally. For more information contact info@why-war.com.

Artists Not Fit for the White House, Philadelphia Art Museum [map], 10:00 am to 2:30 pm. Poetry, music, visual arts, and street theatre. Join Ewuare Osayande of the Black Radical Congress, spoken word artist Gamal Palmer, Pam Africa, the Excelano Project and many other artists. For more information contact elizmarx@temple.edu.

High school student walk-out and rally, converging on Philadelphia City Hall [map], 12 noon to 1:00 pm. Students are calling for all Philadelphia area youth to converge in opposition to this war. Join in a snake march, a die-in, and general noisemaking and flyering until 4:00 pm. For more information contact hswalkout@hotmail.com.

Honk Against the War, Broad and Spring Garden Streets [map], 2:30 to 4:00 pm. Organized by International ANSWER Philadelphia. Bring signs, banners and flyers to the many high school and college students who pass by this intersection. For more information contact philanswer@hotmail.com.

Prayer Vigil for Peace, Philadelphia City Hall [map], 12 noon to 6:00 pm. Short prayer services at noon and 5:30 pm. Stand, pray, and witness for peace. Bring banners, posters, your friends, and warm clothes! For more information contact brandywine@juno.com.

Voices of Iraq, a forum on Saddam Hussein's relation to the people of Iraq, Logan Hall [map] Terrace Room, University of Pennsylvania, 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Sponsored by the Greater Philadelphia Students Association and University of the Arts, Drexel University and University of Pennsylvania student governments. Two female speakers, an Iraqi Kurdish politician and a victim of Saddam Hussein's chemical weapon attacks will present the perspectives of some of those who live in the Middle East. A question-and-answer period will follow. There is no admission fee, and light refreshments will be provided. For more information contact gpsa@campusphilly.org.

How Should We Use Our Power?, a debate on the war on Iraq, Lang Performing Arts Center [map], Swarthmore College, 7:30 pm. Mark Danner, an author and New Yorker staff writer, will present an anti-war position, and Leon Wieseltier, an author and literary editor for The New Republic, will present the pro-war position. The debate will be moderated by political science professor Kenneth Sharpe. The debate reprises an event dubbed "The Great Debate" by Salon magazine that was held Jan. 28 at the University of California, Berkeley, between Danner and former Nation columnist Christopher Hitchens. The debate will be broadcast at a later date on PBS. There is no admission fee. For more information contact tkratte1@swarthmore.edu.

Jenin Jenin premiere film showing, International House, 3701 Chestnut Street [map], Philadelphia, 7:30 pm. This award-winning film by a Palestinian captures citizens' reactions in the West Bank town of Jenin after the Israeli occupation in April 2002. The screening will be followed by a facilitated, open discussion. Shortly after completing the film, the producer was shot and killed by the Israeli Defense Force; the film is banned in Israel. Cosponsored by the Philadelphia Anti-War Forum, Veterans for Peace, International ANSWER Philadelphia, Playgrounds for Palestine, Philadelphia Peace Action, Jewish Mobilization for a Just Peace, and others. Admission is $5. For more information contact pawf@critpath.org.

Want to get involved? 

A planning meeting will take place Monday, March 3, at 6:30 pm at the Friends Center (15th and Cherry Streets [map] in Center City Philadelphia, just a few blocks north of 15th Street/Suburban Station). All youth activists are invited to attend.

If you're planning an event for March 5, please let us know what group or school you represent, and we'll add your information to this page.

Flyers for this event are available to print out (PDF Version 1 with all the information, or PDF Version 2 with space to insert your own information) or by e-mailing waxie55@hotmail.com.

The March 5 event is being held in support of the calls by the National Youth and Student Peace Coalition's Student Strike and Not In Our Name's National Moratorium.