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Demonstrations and Activities During the Democratic National Convention
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A range of activities are being planned before and during the Democratic National Convention (July 26-29). Below is a list of some of the events in place, with links for information. Please note, this list is not comprehensive, and details do change, so please check back. This is intended as a calendar of events, this is not a list of UFPJ-endorsed activities.
VETERANS FOR PEACE: 2004 CONVENTION
Annual National Convention, July 22-25 at Emerson College in Boston
July 22: Get-Together Cruise on Boston Harbor
July 23: "Veterans Address the Nation", Faneuil Hall
July 24: Reception and Banquet, Boston Public Library
July 25: Peace Rally on Boston Common
"WE THE PEOPLE: Defeating Militarism and the Politics of Fear"
Veterans for Peace has taken a leading role in the movement to end the war and occupation of Iraq. Their annual national conference is being held in Boston right before the Democratic National Convention in order to send a strong message to the Democratic Party. Many of the activities during the Veterans for Peace Convention will be open to the public. For more information about the ongoing work of Veterans for Peace and for details about this convention, click here: http://www.veteransforpeace.org
BOSTON SOCIAL FORUM
Friday July 23rd, Saturday July 24th and Sunday July 25th at the University of Massachusetts at Boston
A coalition of Boston area, progressive community organizations, non-profits, and unions will be hosting what promises to be an exciting event—the Boston Social Forum (BSF). A forum within the World Social Forum process, the BSF has been called to help progressive activists to begin to answer some very basic questions: What kind of future do we want for Boston? For our region? For our nation? For the world? What is our vision of a better society?
Through a series of workshops, cultural events, plenary sessions, and giant convocations of the entire forum, we are encouraging progressive organizations of all kinds to showcase their best analysis of the present, and their best ideas for the future, across the breadth of human knowledge—politics, economics, science and technology, culture and faith—in the context of corporate globalization.
The goals of the event are simple: encourage various social movements to exchange information, network with one another, form new alliances, and push our movements forward a bit more towards the next stage of our development.
We invite all progressive activists, interested community members, and delegates to the Democratic National Convention, to come to the BSF and become part of the global process to build a better, more human-centered society. The forum is governed by a Planning Committee that sets policy. Organizing is carried out by Working Groups and a Secretariat (or Admin Team). Organizations that would like to become involved in the BSF may also participate as Allied Organizations.
For more information and to get involved, click here: http://www.bostonsocialforum.org
INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE, at the Boston Social Forum
Friday July 23rd, Saturday July 24th and Sunday July 25th
The American Friends Service Committee and the European Network for Peace and Human Rights are working together to organize an international peace conference at the Boston Social Forum. Leading figures from European and U.S. peace movements will be joined by their counterparts from Asia, Africa and Latin America with the goal of reinforcing our movements through sharing analysis, strategies and priorities; networking; and developing joint campaigns and solidarity.
For more information, click here: http://www.afsc.org/pes.htm or call AFSC at 617-661-6130
PEOPLE'S PARTIES
Sunday, July 25th - in neighborhoods around Boston and around the country
Mayor Thomas Menino of Boston is hosting neighborhood parties for the delegates to the Democratic Nominating Convention on the day before the DNC opens. On July 25th Mayor Menino will use this parties to "show off" the successes of his administration. A Boston-wide planning process has led to the plans for People's Parties around Boston, and near where the delegates' parties will be happening, offering an opportunity for the people of Boston to let the world know what's really going on in their neighborhoods. All the parties will have a "Fund the Dream" umbrella theme, but each party will also be unique and will put front and center the community's understanding of what the "dream" is -- what they want their communities to look like, what the important struggles are for them, etc. To read more about Fund the Dream, and to download petitions, etc., please see http://www.fundthedream.org.
The Peoples' Parties are also an opportunity to be part of a national mobilization in your own community! Plan a People's Party for Sunday, July 25th in your neighborhood or community. Make it big or small. Start meeting with other grassroots groups in your area. Get neighbors, friends, kids out to barbeque, visit, listen to music, share the arts, play games, and raise consciousness about the campaign to Fund the Dream. This is a national campaign to shift the money from the military budget to meeting human needs. It is anti-war and pro-community. It is a chance for you to *build relationships* with other groups and with other people -- so that we can big enough and strong enough and *connected* enough to meet whatever challenge lays ahead of us on the day after the election.
Let's send a message to the Democrats and to whoever is elected in November, that our movements are growing in numbers, that we are aiming to stop the war(s) at home and the war(s) abroad, and that we believe another world is possible and that we are going to fight for it!
For more information, contact cyn.peters@verizon.net
Information on how to organize a People's Party can be found by clicking on this text link.
OTHER ACTIVITIES:
Rallies, marches, teach-ins, forums and other activities are in the planning stages. Some of the events planned include:
Monday, July 26th
Rally against Police Brutality, Prison Abuse and the Patriot Act
sponsored by the Black Tea Society
10 am to 12 noon on the Boston Common, followed by a march to the Fleet Center
for more information: http://www.blackteasociety.org
Speak Out on Civil Liberties
sponsored by the Kucinch Campaign
12 noon at St.Paul's Church on Tremont Street
Alternative Freedom Trail - tour through Boston
sponsored by the Mass. Civil Liberties Union
2 pm to 5 pm
Dump the Democrats
sponsored by the Socialist Party, USA
2 pm
Government Center
for more information: http://www.sp-usa.org/democracy/
Rally against the Occupations of Iraq and Palestine
sponsored by Boston Coalition for Palestinian Rights and United for Justice with Peace
5 pm to 7 pm
Tuesday, July 27th
Calling All Delegates: People's Solutions to National and Global Crisis
10 am to 2 pm
Faneuil Hall
Really REALLY Democratic Bazaar
sponsored by Black Tea Society
12 noon to 8 pm
Boston Common
for more information: http://www.blackteasociety.org
Eyes Wide Open Exhibit opposing U.S. war in Iraq
sponsored by American Friends Service Committee
9 am to 9 pm, program with speakers and music starts at 7:30 pm
Copley Square
Wednesday, July 28th
Rally against Detainee Abuse from Guantanamo to Abu Ghraib Prison
sponsored by United for Justice with Peace
12 noon to 2 pm
Copley Square
for more information: http://justicewithpeace.org or call 617-354-2169
Demonstration to protest plans for a Bio-Terror Lab in the heart of Boston
sponsored by ACE
3 pm to 8 pm
Roxbury/South End (exact location TBA)
Thursday, July 29th
Anti-War Rally and March
sponsored by Black Tea Society
10 am to 12 pm at Copley Square followed by march to Fleet Center, return to Boston Common for rally
for more information contact: http://www.blackteasociety.org
Rally for Peace and Justice
sponsored by United for Peace and Justice, in cooperation with AFSC, United Progressive Alliance and Great Boston United for Justice with Peace Coalition
5 pm to 11 pm
demonstration zone near Fleet Center
Friday, July 30th
Kick Off of DNC2RNC March
sponsored by the Next Step Collective
10 am gather, location TBA
Other activities during the week are being planned by the Black T(ea) Society, by 9/11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, and others. Please check this site regularly for more information and updates.
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