(see more images: mayor gallery)

Charlottesville CodePINK met with Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris at his office Thursday, August 7th, to present him with a Charlottesville CodePINK Thank You Note for being the 20th of mayors across the country to sign the US Conference of Mayors: National Mayors’ Resolution for Diplomacy with Iran. The Resolution urges the Bush administration to pursue diplomatic engagement with Iran and oppose military intervention. Mayor Norris signed the Mayors’ Resolution in June, because he felt that as a Mayor he could contribute to an urgent national conversation, and, should an attack on Iran occur, he would have missed an opportunity to join other mayors who voiced their conscience.

In July, as part of the growing national movement, Charlottesville CodePINK joined local peace and justice organizations: Batesville Action Coalition, Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice (CCPJ), DontAttackIran.org, Little Flower Catholic Worker, and the People United who will be urging the Charlottesville City Council to pass a City Resolution for Peace With Iran [Don't Attack Iran] similar to the resolution the City Council passed six weeks before the Iraq invasion in 2003.

After receiving the CodePINK Thank You Note, Mayor Norris signed a petition that urges City Council to pass a City of Charlottesville Resolution for Peace With Iran [Don't Attack Iran] and agreed to continue to work toward the effort to pass the local resolution.

CodePINK also applauded Mayor Norris, on his response to criticism he received from local Republican leadership regarding his endorsement of the Mayors’ Resolution and also regarding the function of City Council in relation to issues that have national or international significance. In a June 27th article in the Daily Progress, Mayor Norris responded that there is an even greater need for the City to respond since the Iraq invasion, citing that, “Iran would be an even bigger disaster than Iraq.”

“We do have an obligation to speak out in certain limited cases,” he said, and noted that the administration’s decision will ultimately affect Charlottesville residents. “We are going to ask the harder questions this time that we didn’t ask before.”

The effort to pass these and similar resolutions is timely. In May, House Congress Resolution 362 was introduced and is co-sponsored by over 200 representatives including local 5th district Virgil Goode. The resolution demands that the president initiate an international effort to impose a land, sea, and air blockade on Iran to prevent it from importing gasoline and to subject all cargo entering or leaving Iran to stringent inspection requirements. For such a blockade to be imposed without United Nations authority (which the resolution does not call for) it would be considered an act of war. A similar Senate Resolution, 580 has also been introduced. Both are expected to be addressed in September.

The National Mayors’ Resolution and the City of Peace Resolution are campaigns initiated through Cities for Progress . CFP is a growing network of locally-elected officials and community-based activists working together for social change that incorporates local, national and global approaches to issues that affect us in our own communities.

After receiving the CodePINK recognition today, Mayor Norris noted that it is ” lots of little gestures that add up to a mighty voice.”

Read the City Resolution: http://www.charlottesvillepeace.org/iranresolution

Sign the petition: http://charlottesvillepeace.org/files/iranpetition.pdf

Note: Because the August 4th City Council meeting was cancelled and the effort to collect signatures, the resolution will be submitted to City Council at an up-coming meeting.

To read more about the US threat to attack Iran, H.Con.Res 362, and the growing national movement in opposition, go to charlottesvillepeace.org, afterdowningstreet.org/iran, irannuclearwatch.blogspot.com, and codepink4peace.org.

Friday, July 18th
Street Theater and Petitioning
Starting at 6 p.m., meet at the Freedom of Expression Wall on the Charlottesville Downtown Mall. Street Theater Parade begins after 7 p.m.

This Friday evening, join visitors to Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall during the free Fridays After Five concert to see giant puppets on stilts, posters and banners, hundreds of people wearing free “Don’t Attack Iran” stickers, and dozens of people collecting signatures on a petition to urge Charlottesville City Council to take a position against the United States attacking Iran. Please meet us near the Freedom of Expression Wall at any time from 6 p.m. on. Please, if you can, bring signs and posters opposing an attack on Iran.

We need all Citizens of Charlottesville to join in and sign a petition to urge our Charlottesville City Council to become a City of Peace with Iran and pass a Resolution Against Attacking Iran.

We will present the resolution and signatures to Charlottesville City Council on August 4, 2008.

Here’s the resolution we’ll be urging City Council to pass:
http://charlottesvillepeace.org/iranresolution

Here’s a blank petition form you can print in order to collect your own signatures:
http://charlottesvillepeace.org/files/iranpetition.pdf

Read “No More Walls: I Want My Country Back” by Farzaneh Milani, professor of Persian literature and women studies at the University of Virginia. Published in the Charlottesville Daily Progress on May 06, 2007.

Monday, July 21st
Forum: Alternatives to Attacking Iran, with Helena Cobban and Carah Ong
7 p.m. at the County Office Building

Helena Cobban, who for 17 years was a columnist on global affairs for The Christian Science Monitor, is the author of the newly-published citizen’s handbook “Re-engage! America and World After Bush” (copies of which will be available at the event). She is a member of Charlottesville Friends Meeting (Quakers) and last visited Iran in December 2004. Helena blogs at JustWorldNews.org; two of her recent articles include Iran: Israeli muscle-flexing, US vulnerability and ElBaradei, Powell, and the key role of legitimacy.

Carah Ong is the Iran Policy Analyst at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation where her work focuses on Iran and the greater Middle East. She most recently visited Iran in February and March 2008. She currently serves on the National Advisory Board of the Alsos Digital Library on Nuclear Issues at Washington and Lee University and is a consultant to the Peace and Security Funders Group, based in Charlottesville. In Fall 2008, Ong will be a graduate student in the Department of Politics at the University of Virginia. She blogs at IranNuclearWatch.blogspot.com and has written several articles for the Center website, see Time for a Diplomatic Surge with Iran and Iran Sanctions Bill Could Undermine Diplomacy.

The Albemarle County Office Building is located at the intersection of McIntire Road and Preston Avenue in downtown Charlottesville, Va., at 401 McIntire Road.

For flyers and more information go to: CharlottesvillePeace.org

These actions are part of a national effort organized by IraqMoratorium.org and UnitedforPeace.org.

The coalition of peace groups sponsoring these local Friday and Monday actions are: Batesville Action Coalition, Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice (CCPJ), Charlottesville CodePINK: Women for Peace, DontAttackIran.org, Little Flower Catholic Worker, and the People United.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) will hold a news conference tomorrow afternoon to discuss his introduction of a single article of impeachment of President George W. Bush. Kucinich sent a letter to colleagues today addressing the article. The text of the letter is below.

Where: Cannon Terrace (intersection of Independence Avenue and New Jersey Avenue)
When: Thursday, July 10, 2008
Time: 2 p.m.

From Congressman Dennis Kucinich

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) sent the following letter today to his colleagues in Congress:

See full letter on AfterDowningStreet.org

Also, read the full 35 articles of impeachment.

This is why we demonstrated against Bush at Monticello on July 4, 2008.

Video by S. Johnson of Gael Murphy, Desiree Fairooz, and Linda Lisanti.

With only a week’s notice, Charlottesville CodePINK sent out a call to action for all concerned citizens to protest President Bush’s appearance at the Monticello July 4th naturalization ceremony. More than two hundred people participated in the protest on the street below.

At the ceremony on the mountaintop, six demonstrators who yelled out: “Defend the Constitution. Impeach!” “War Criminal” and unfurled banners while President Bush was speaking were escorted off the museum grounds, while another two or three were allowed to stay and continue voicing their dissent—including CodePINK co-founder Gael Murphy.

Thank you to all the CodePINK Virginia and DC women and male allies who turned out for this action and to our coalition partners: Augusta Center for Peace and Justice, AfterDowningStreet, Democrats.com, Charlottesville MoveOn.org, and the many other people who participated.

“Just imagine a work of such magnitude that it actually mirrors the whole world…. In it all of nature finds a voice.” –Gustav Mahler on his 3rd Symphony

This is the quote CodePINK Co-founder Gael Murphy used to express her feeling about the action to protest Bush on July 4^th at Monticello.

Full coverage of the event including more videos, photos, and national press coverage, is provided at AfterDowningStreet.org.

CodePINK gets on the map in Virginia

Gael Murphy speaks truth to power, and keeps her seat.  She is not escorted out.

Desiree Fairooz is led away during the speech. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Impeachment is Patriotic

Activists on route 20, Charlottesville.

If you haven’t already heard, President George Bush will be this year’s speaker at the Monticello naturalization ceremony.

Martha and Sally say: Sisters Unite to Save our Country — Give Bush the Pink Slip!

Let’s let our town, our state, the country and the world know how we feel about Bush, his policies and his visit to the historic home of the author of the Declaration of Independence…who was also a slaveholder.

Let’s let our government, multinational corporations and Monticello know how we feel about the legacy of the slaveholder we see active today in our empire building, in our prisons, and, in our workplaces– our basic rights are being gradually aborted in the name of “Democracy.”

We must Reclaim our Right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness—to privacy, a living wage, healthcare, affordable and decent education, housing and transportation, healthy food, air and water.

The new citizens will be declaring their oath to defend the constitution, but has President Bush? Save the America these new citizens want to become part of. For them and for us, we must save America. See links below to read up.

Peoples and pinks from surrounding areas will join us to Protest, Impeach, and bring the issues forward. COME IN FULL PINK: bring flyers, signs, banners, theater, bullhorns, vans, and a horse if you got one to line the streets 20 and the entrance to 53.

Street Protesters will meet at Quarry Park at 7AM on the 4th. For maps, great flyer and further info go to David Swanson’s site.

A limited number of tickets for the ceremony are available to the general public and will be given out at the Visitor Center on Wednesday at 7am – 4 per person. Ticket holders will be bused up to Monticello from PVCC in shifts starting at 6:15 am on 4th. Security will be the highest. Monticello is owned by a private foundation. You can also call Monticello and let then know how you feel about Bush speaking there: (434) 984-9822

Read what our own Medea Benjamin has to say about Celebrating Independence in an Era of Empire.

Read what Naomi Wolf has to say about The End of America.

Read a [barely] adapted version of the Declaration of Independence by Veteran’s for Peace.

Dissent is Patriotic! Peace is Patriotic! Impeachment is Patriotic!

President Bush and Monticello [The Thomas Jefferson Foundation] which legacy are you promoting? Jefferson as the author of the Declaration of Independence or Jefferson the Slaveholder?

Come One, Come All in the spirit of the American Revolution, it is time to rise-up!
GET PINK!!

Onward in Pink;
the women and male allies of CodePink Charlottesville