December 1 has been designated as a National Day of Absence against war, racism and economic injustice to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat on the bus.
Students, workers and all activists are being encouraged to stop working, skip school, stop shopping or in other ways participate in the system, and instead to join activities to protest the wars in Iraq and Afganistan and their impact on the growing poverty at home. The Day of Absence has been endorsed by the Detroit City Council, and City Councils in Baltimore, New York City, Cleveland and Oakland, CA among others.
More information on the December 1 Day of Absence can be obtained at <outbind://5/www.troopsoutnow.org> www.troopsoutnow.org < <http://www.troopsoutnow.org/> http://www.troopsoutnow.org>.
In Detroit the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War and Injustice (MECAWI) will be having an all day teach in at Central United Methodist Church from 1:00 pm to 8:00pm. Videos on Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movements will be shown, and there will be workshops on anti-war and social justice struggles locally from 1 to 6 PM.
That evening from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm there will be a rally at Central United Methodist Church- 2nd Floor, 23 E. Adams at Grand Circus Park to demand an immediate end to the War in Iraq and immediate withdrawal of US troops, and that the war budget be directed instead to funding human needs at home, such as health care, aid against utility shut-offs, jobs, education, etc.
The leaflet for Dec. 1 in Detroit will soon be available at <outbind://5/www.mecawi.org> www.mecawi.org along with the Detroit City Council resolution. Call
313-680-5508 for more information or arrange to get leaflets.
In addition on Tuesday, November 22, at 5:00 pm, there is a Detroit school board meeting at the Detroit School of the Arts at 123 Selden.
Join us at the meeting to demand that the Detroit School Board authorize activities to commemorate December 1 at all schools or that students be allowed to skip school to participate in local activities.
Feel free to raise similar resolutions in your school districts and to organize Dec. 1 "No Business As Usual - Day of Absence" actions in your locality. ---David for MECAWI
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