Bring the Troops Home Now!!!

IVAW's North East Winter Soldier in Rochester!!!

Saturday, October 4th, Save the Date!

Iraq Veterans Against the War is happy to announce that North East Winter Soldier will be held right here in Rochester this October 4th.

Planning Meeting: Friday August 15th @ 7pm
Underground Railroad Cafe, (480 W. Main St.) Click here for google map directions

There is something for everyone to get excited about this summer, and we want your help. The second planning meeting for Northeast Winter Soldier will be Saturday August 2nd @ 12 noon at the Antiwar Storefront on Monroe Ave. 658 Monroe Avenue, adjacent to Aaron"s Alley, Archimage, etc. near Oxford Street

What are we asking you to do?

1. Ask your group if they are interested in Sponsoring or Supporting the North East Winter Soldier and contact us.

2. Attend the planning meeting on Friday August 15th @ 7pm. There is a lot yet to be figured out and a lot of work to be done. The more groups and individuals we have, the more we can accomplish!

3. Donate to help finance the event! All money will go to Iraq Veterans Against the War's Rochester Chapter. Contact us and we will let you know how you can make a contribution.

The purpose of North East Winter Soldier is first and foremost to put the voices of those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan front and center. Their voices and their testimony stand as one of the strongest indictments of this illegal war and occupation. But it goes beyond that, we want to grow the veterans antiwar movement and the domestic antiwar movement. To this end, after hearing the testimony we will march out of the venue toward a VA outpatient center to demand better healthcare for vets and soldiers.

Together, we are both stronger, and together we can end this war, in soldiarity with those in Iraq who want their country back. The planning and running of North East Winter Soldier needs to include as many local groups as possible and intends to be a model of democratic collaboration.

If you are intersted in Sponsoring, Supporting, Donating, and/or participating. Please email both bryancasler@RochesterIVAW.com and truthtob@yahoo.com

Come with ideas and enthusiasm and we promise you won't be disappointed.

Along with the testimony of members from Iraq Veterans Against the War, we will have a number of amazing speakers from around the country. We can't announce our list of speakers yet, but you have seen some of them on Democracy Now!, read about them on sites such as The Nation, Tom Dispatch, Counterpunch, and Common Dreams. We need help to get them and other Iraq Veterans Against the War to and from Rochester.

For those who missed IVAW's National event in March, Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan featured testimony from U.S. veterans who served in those occupations, giving an accurate account of what is really happening day in and day out, on the ground. In addition, panels of scholars, veterans, journalists, and other specialists gave context to the testimony. These panels covered everything from the history of the GI resistance movement to the fight for veterans' health benefits and support. Watch testimony at IVAW.org and Blip.tv

If you haven't heard yet, our IVAW chapter is producing a bi-monthly podcast with a rotating cast of characters. Check out http://www.rochesterIVAW.org

Don't forget to place your discounted pre-order on our IVAW yard signs, we're taking them until Aug 2nd. Get Them Now!

Keep scrolling down for a list of activities involving local veterans

*** All info submitted will go directly to a local representative of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAV).
It will be kept private and completely confidential.

Rochester Live Feed of Winter Soldiers' testimony Against the War

The Storefront Anti-War Crisis Center, 658 Monroe Ave. in Rochester, NY will host free and open to the public live feed video screenings of the Winter Soldier Iraq war testimony by IVAW members (Iraq Vets Against the War):

• March 13th (Thurs.) 7pm - 9pm
• March 14th (Fri.) 9am - 5pm
• March 15th (Sat.) 9am - 12 noon and 2pm - 8:30pm
• March 16th (Sun.)10am - 3:30pm

658 Monroe Ave. in Rochester, NY near Oxford St., three blocks north of the Monroe Ave. exit off Rt. 490.
click here for google map directions
Info at 585.436.1786/ c 585.978.9987

==> Click here to visit the Iraq Veterans Against the War website for complete details and how you can DONATE <==

Screenings Description (excerpt from longer article):

"Winter Soldiers to Testify Against War"
By Maya Schenwar
t r u t h o u t | Report Saturday 01 March 2008

Thirty-seven years ago, in the midst of a bitter-cold Michigan winter, 109 Vietnam veterans gathered at a Howard Johnson Motel auditorium in Detroit to tell their stories. For three days, they told of ransacking undefended villages, attacking civilians, mutilating bodies, torturing Viet Cong suspects, burning houses, destroying Vietnamese property and livestock and killing innocent children. At the conference, entitled Winter Soldier, the veterans accepted responsibility and mourned for their actions. But, taken collectively, their words incriminated a much larger culprit: the war itself.

This year, from March 13 to 16, about 300 veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will follow in the footsteps of their predecessors, gathering for a second Winter Soldier conference, in Silver Spring, Maryland. Organized by Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) it will make up the largest gathering ever of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

Their mission? To tell the story of the war in the terms of those who have actually lived it.

==> click here for a link to the full article <==

Winter Soldier Screening Success!

Rochester Against War (RAW) and Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) would like to thank everyone who made this event possible and all those who attended. Over 130 people attended the movie screening and most stuck around for the panel discussion.

Here is a report that RAW member Rianne Mitchell wrote:

-- Braving single digit temperatures, on Wednesday, Feb 27th, about 140 people came out to a local movie theatre to view the Vietnam era documentary Winter Soldier and participate in a panel discussion with anti-war veterans from the Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq wars. The local chapter of IVAW organized the fundraiser to help send members to the upcoming Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan in Washington DC.

Rochester Against War and other civilian organizations such as the Anti-War Storefront, Peace Action & Education, and Military Families Speak Out provided support for the event that raised more than $1,000. Panel members fielded questions on a range of issues including the military’s treatment of veterans, the war in Afghanistan, and how they came to be against the war. Before, after (and sometimes during) the film, impromptu discussion about soldiers issues could be heard in the lobby, at the concession, and among the staff.

Speaking from the front, local activist Roberto Resto, who was wounded in the Vietnam War and came back to the US and joined the GI resistance movement, underscored the urgency of the tasks facing the anti-war movement, "Forty years later, we haven't learned. We are back in the same quagmire, the same war. Only this time, our weapons are more powerful. We have to stop this nightmare. We cannot continue to send young men and women to die in a war for oil and profit." --

We raised a bunch of money that will help make the IVAW members trip to DC to the national Winter Soldier event possible.

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle wrote a very good article on the event: ==> click here to read <==

Resisting Empire in Iraq:
Veterans Present The Case For Immediate Withdrawal

Saturday, Dec. 15th 1:00pm

A majority of Americans think the war in Iraq was a mistake, yet many argue, “we can’t just leave.” For some, it is about preventing chaos, for others, caring for the well being of Iraqis. However, Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) firmly believes the best way to
help the Iraqi people, the best way to “support our troops”, and the only practical solution to the violence in Iraq, is

1. to immediately remove ALL combat forces and private contractors from Iraq
2. give veterans the care they need and deserve when they get back
3. pay reparations to the Iraqi people for the damage we've caused

Join Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans from Rochester, Syracuse, and Ft. Drum for a presentation and open discussion.

A special invitation is extended to all active duty, veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, and previous US wars as well as their family and friends.

Saturday, Dec. 15th 1:00pm
At the Antiwar Storefront, 658 Monroe Avenue, adjacent to Aaron"s Alley, Archimage, near Oxford Street

==> Click Here to download the flyer (PDF) <== **

** We encourage everyone to download and give them to your friends, family, co-workers and post in your school, workplace, or community centers.

==> For more information on IVAW visit: http://www.IVAW.org

==> for more info on this event email ivaw @ RochesterAgainstWar.org

---

Rochester resident TJ Buonomo: Officer discharged for speaking out

TJ is a local member of Iraq Veterans Against the War and has participated with many groups in Rochester including Rochester Against War. Recently he spoke at a Veterans Day Observance in downtown Rochester (pics coming soon!).

We'll save him the embarrassment of a "profile in courage", instead we'll let him speak for himself. He just gave a wonderful interview with the national war resisters organization, Courage to Resist which is published on their website.

==> click here to listen to the interview <==

Rochester Against War believe that the struggle of soldiers, for decent benefits, fair pay, and most importantly, for their right to express opposition to this war...is a cruical part of the antiwar movement.

Rochester Against War believes that supporting our troops means bringing them home NOW! It also means supporting those brave war resisters, that against enourmous pressure, have spoken out.

Are you an active duty soldier? Are you a veteran? Military Family? Wondering what you can do?

Connect with other soldiers, veterans and military families in the Rochester Area:

==> contact IVAW, join@ivaw.org <==

Rochester Against War works closely with Iraq Vets Against the War (IVAW) and together, we feel we can build a large, vibrant, antiwar movement!
  
IVAW North-East Organizer Matt Hrutkay speaks at the Antiwar Storefront on Monroe Ave (left)
and Matt with RAW member Jeff DeToro (right)