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Oct. 6th Solidarity Day with Myanmar

E-Mail I sent out to a bunch of organizers today...

October 6th is being called as an international day of solidarity with
the people's resistance in Myanmar. The Washington Peace Center is
initiating a march from Mt. Vernon Square at 12 noon on Saturday, the
6th, as the Green Festival is taking place. We will march directly up
Massachusetts Avenue, we will pause momentarily to honor the spirit of
the nonviolent revolutionary Mahatma Gandhi at his statue at 21st and
Mass Ave., NW before continuing onto the Myanmar Embassy at 2300 S
Street, NW.

At Gandhi's statue, we would like to invite nonviolent resisters and
representatives of the Myanmar people to speak briefly. We will vigil
at the Embassy for a couple hours, where we will read Buddhist chants
in solidarity with the monks being slaughtered by their government and
read accounts of the people's uprising from a few different blogs.

If your group would like to participate, please contact me at
571-271-1313; or WPC coordinator Jay Marx at 202-234-2000. We want to
show a strong sign of solidarity with the people in Myanmar on the
6th! Thank you.

Peace and solidarity,
Pete

PS -- From an article on the movement to make Oct. 6 an International
Day of Solidarity with Myanmar:
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/world/AP/story/253988.html
"By Friday, more than 110,000 people had joined the "Support the
Monks' Protest in Burma" group, set up on Facebook nine days ago. The
group has become a repository of eyewitness accounts, photos and video
footage of the protests, and also provides details of demonstrations
worldwide.

British organizer Johnny Chatterton said that until Internet links to
Myanmar were cut, the group had been receiving images, video and
reports from sources with contacts in Myanmar. He said much of it -
including the report of a monk killed by soldiers - had turned out to
be accurate.

"I'm passing on the details to my contacts at the papers and the BBC,"
said Chatterton, 23.

He said the group's goal was 'to show the world's eyes are on Burma'
and to coordinate protests, including a global day of action planned
for Oct. 6."

On Friday, the Facebook group posted an estimate from sources inside
Myanmar that 200 people had been killed in the crackdown in the past
several days. The government says 10 people have died, although
Western officials and diplomats say the toll is likely much higher.

Comments

MK said…
photos from today's protets in DC: http://mk.smugmug.com/gallery/3557464
PeteinDC said…
Thanks for the photos MK! If I wasn't so busy with classwork... I hope we can get a big crowd next Saturday. My heart is heavy with what is happening in Myanmar.

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