SOA Watch, we won't stop until they do #humanrights

13 arrested for taking the demand for the closure of SOA into the streets on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC We Won't Stop Until They Do! Yesterday, human rights activists took to the streets around Capitol Hill in a spirited parade, culminating a week of trainings, workshops, music and lobbying to close the School of the Americas. Police on foot, bicycle, motorcycle and in vehicles prohibited free passage of the march, limiting SOA Watch activists abilities to be heard and seen by Congressional staff. Thirteen were arrested as they tried to lead the march down Independence Avenue in front of the Congressional buildings, but were impeded by dozens of police who blockaded their passage and expression of free speech. The 13 were released over 6 hours later and ironically charged with "blocking passage". Read their statements here. Inside Congress, students, teachers, labor leaders and activists pressed their Representatives to cosponsor HR3368, the bill to suspend and investigate the SOA/WHINSEC. Amplify the voices of those who are meeting with their Members of Congress today, by calling your Representative's office in Washington, DC. Just call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard (the phone number is (202) 224-3121), provide the zip code of the place where you live, and the operator will connect you to your Representatives' office. Click here for a call script. The weekend's conference, strategy sessions and concert brought organizers together around issues of de-militarization, joining the thousands in Cartagena, Colombia, who attended the People's Summit of the Americas. We will not be silenced. Despite police censorship of our message, the movement to close the SOA/WHINSEC will continue to demand a closure of the School of Assassins and an end to militarization. Our efforts are fueled with the knowledge that we will prevail! Check out more photos of the march and action! In solidarity, SOA Watch PS: Don't forget to send a message to SOA Watch Prisoner of Conscience Theresa Cusimano! La lucha sigue... con alegría! Pablo Ruíz en Cartagena: "We Need to De-Militarize Our Way of Life" SOA Watch Latin America Coordinator Pablo Ruíz was in Cartagena this week for the People's Summit of the Americas. In the lead up to the official Summit of the Americas, where US 'big brother' policies were rejected and Latin American unity was strengthened, the city of Cartagena was militarized though activist organizers had called for nonviolent demonstrations and meetings. "Today [April 14] is the opening assembly of the People's Summit, in Cartagena, and the opportunity to hear the voice of the people who want to speak. In the declaration that we are preparing from the Summit, special attention has been given to the theme of militarization that affects all the people of the South, and within this concern, the training at the School of the Americas... I think that Gandhi states this well: 'there is no path without peace, peace is the path'." Read more from Pablo here and see video greetings from People's Summit attendees! SOA Watch on Facebook SOA Watch on Twitter See us on YouTube Please make a donation NOW. Contact us. Our mailing address is: SOA Watch, PO Box 4566, Washington, D.C. 20017, USA Our telephone: (202) 234 3440 Click here to fund the campaign to close the SOA.

SOA Watch news #humanrights

SOA Watch Action Camp Desde las montañas... Greetings from the beautiful Shenandoah mountains, where the river babbles and the donkey brays! Since Wednesday, School of the Americas Watch activists have converged at the Wayside Center for Popular Education, located in Faber, Virginia, for the first SOA Watch Direct Action Training Camp. While the nights are freezing, the days are hot with information! Check out the photos! The training camp is the kick off for the Days of Action (April 14-17: http://SOAW.org ), which will culminate with a rally, march and action on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Monday, April 16 at 12noon. We hope to see you in the streets! From anti-oppression work to building puppets, from listening projects and how to build blockades, the activists have been busy connecting and getting ready to carry forward the movement to close the School of Assassins. We began the camp remembering Ed Lewinson, former Prisoner of Conscience from New York, who passed away on Wednesday - Ed Lewinson, Presente! Participants and trainers from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and Southerners on New Ground shared their experiences of successful movement building. Tomorrow, participants will look forward to learning the basics of climbing! As we send this out now, trainers from Earth First! and Greenpeace are sharing their knowledge of successful blockades... Want proof? Here you go! We're getting ready for the April Days of Action and our November vigil at Fort Benning, and planting the seeds for the continuation of this beautiful movement that generations of activists have nurtured and fueled. We look forward to seeing you this weekend in DC! From the mountains of western Virginia, con mucho amor y solidaridad. Schedule for the April Days of Action in Washington, DC, April 14-17 Friday, April 13: In town early? Kick off the SOA Watch weekend with two great local events! Celebrate DC Language Access Month with the Many Moves, One Movement celebration (7:30pm, Bloombars, 3222 11th St, NW. Tickets $20 advance/$25 door). And the women's electro-cumbia DJ crew Maracuyeah says: "Those who kick up dust on the dance floor and find their makeout soulmate at night are better fighters for justice by day!" Check out the show! (10pm, Judy Restaurant, 2212 14th St, NW. 18+, $10 donation) Saturday, April 14: Conference - "International (In)Security." 9am-5pm. Metropolitan Community Church, 474 Ridge St, NW, Washington, DC. For conference agenda and speaker bios, click here. Saturday, April 14: Join our friends at the American Friends Service Committee for the 2nd Annual "If I Had a Trillion Dollars" Youth Film Festival, 6-8pm (Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th Street, NW). See AFSC site for more information. Sunday, April 15: Strategy Sessions - Help guide the strategies to close the SOA over the electoral year! Georgetown Law School's Students for a Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) will host the strategy sessions, located at Georgetown Law School's McDonough Building, 101 F St, NW. Contact Becca@soaw.org to confirm your attendance and to receive planning materials. Sunday, April 15: Concert! Benefit show, with live music and plenty of dance space! 7-10:30pm. Haydee's Restaurant, 3102 Mount Pleasant St NW (take green/yellow Metro line to Columbia Heights, walk west on Irving St, and then north on Mt. Pleasant St) Monday, April 16: Flood Capitol Hill with Justice 9:15 - 10:15am Lobby Training - Stewart R. Mott House 122 Maryland Av., NE. The training will be followed by visits to your Representatives on Capitol Hill. Contact Alison Snow for more information at asnow@soaw.org. 12pm. Gather at Upper Senate Park (New Jersey and Constitution Ave, NW) for a rally, followed by a lively parade, a march on Capitol Hill and nonviolent direct action. 1:30pm Congressional film screening with Congressman Jim McGovern, featuring the testimonies of eight youth filmmakers, who submitted entries to the "If I had a Trillion Dollars" film festival. The screening is open to the public and will take place on April 16 at 1:30pm in the Cannon House Office Building, Room 122 Monday, April 16 and Tuesday, April 17: Lobbying on Capitol Hill. Take what you've learned and get your Congress member to cosponsor HR 3368! Days of Action: Join us for a rally, march and action on Capitol Hill on Monday, April 16 at 12noon; for the conference on Saturday, April 14; the strategy session and the concert on Sunday, April 15 in Washington, DC: SOA Watch on Facebook SOA Watch on Twitter See us on YouTube Please make a donation NOW to support the SOA Watch Days of Action. Our mailing address is: SOA Watch, PO Box 4566, Washington, D.C. 20017, USA Our telephone: (202) 234 3440 Click here to fund the campaign to close the SOA.

To contribute to Elizabeth Warren #p2

---

Why do Democrats often run corporate-backed candidates? Because true progressives "can't raise the money needed to win," right?
Elizabeth Warren is changing that conventional wisdom. She DOUBLED Republican Sen. Scott Brown's fundraising in the first quarter of 2012!
PCCC members like you have donated a whopping $678,803 to Warren's campaign -- 37,500 donations averaging $18 each. That's absolutely stunning! Brown emailed supporters asking "How in the world could she raise so much?" and blamed "the Far Left Juggernaut." He screamed "WE MUST WIN" and asked for emergency donations.
We have momentum, but a new poll shows Warren up by just 1 point. Can you help maintain her fundraising advantage by donating $3 to her campaign today? Click here.
A full copy of Scott Brown's email is below. This is actually not the first time he panicked.
Last August, Talking Points Memo reported, "On the heels of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee’s $100,000 campaign cash haul on Warren’s behalf, Brown’s up with a new fundraising appeal begging supporters to help him before it’s too late."
Brown's desperate appeals are getting mocked across the Internet. But with the advantages of incumbency and a neck-and-neck race, we can take nothing for granted.
Can you donate $3 to help Elizabeth Warren maintain her recent fundraising edge? Click here.
A Warren victory will send a national message that when Democrats campaign as true progressives, they win. Thanks for being a bold progressive.
-- Adam Green, Michael Snook, Megan Gean, Jason Rosenbaum, Matt Wall, and the PCCC team

---

Dear Friends,
I want you to know exactly what we are up against:
Thanks to you and thousands of others, our campaign raised $3.4 million in the last quarter, but Professor Elizabeth Warren raised twice that amount: $6.9 million. How in the world could she raise so much?
She is a far-left ideologue and her liberal friends from across the country are helping her: She has the Harry Reid Democrats, the Hollywood Crowd, the Far Left Juggernaut, the Occupy Wall Street Bunch, and the Massachusetts Machine raising money hand-over-clenched fist.
This is the #1 Senate race in the country and our rival will have virtually unlimited money to burn. You have been a terrific supporter, but I wanted you to know what we are facing.
Warren's fundraising is breaking every record!
Will you help me again?
Your online contribution will help stop Professor Warren's election to the U.S. Senate.
WE MUST WIN . . . if she wins, she will take her place among the most ardent leftist ideologues in the United States Senate.

• Warren will raise taxes. I won't.
• Warren is soft on illegal immigration. I'm not.
• Warren wants to go even further than Obamacare. I want it repealed.
• Warren believes in big government power. I believe in people power.

This is why Washington insiders, celebrities, elites, occupiers and leftists are pouring money into their attack campaign against me, and why I need your generous help again, right now, whether it's for $25, $50, $100 or some other amount, to fight back hard and win.
Thanks for your continued support.
Senator Scott Brown
The People's Seat

---

Donate $3 to Elizabeth Warren here!

---

Want to support our work? PCCC's Draft Warren campaign was named The Nation's "Most Valuable Campaign of 2011". In 2010 we were awarded "Most Valuable Online Organizing." And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in $3 here.

Paid for by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee PAC (www.BoldProgressives.org) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Contributions to the PCCC are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.