President's Day "Tea Party" Protest with Cindy Sheehan

Event Description:

This event will go on, rain or shine.  Thousands of US troops and Iraqis are dying in Iraq -- The least we can do is to show our support for this event even if the weather is not spring-like and sunny.  Bring rain gear, your long underwear, and a hat.  Let's show Houston that we won't let a little weather interfere with our stand for peace, and that we want our troops home now.

When:  Monday, February 20, 2006 (President's Day) from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Where:  Along Woodway, in front of St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Sage Road at Woodway in Tanglewood, just outside 610 (the West Loop).

Brought to you by Gold Star Families for Peace in conjunction with Veterans for Peace and Code Pink. 

As mothers, fathers and American citizens, we want to ask Barbara Bush "Why did our sons die for your son's lies?" 

We want to stress that this will be a PEACEFUL, NONVIOLENT protest aimed at the heart of Bush Country in Houston.  This demonstration will be in front of St. Martin's Episcopal Church, which happens to be the elder Bush's family church.  However, the Episcopal Church in the US has taken a strongly antiwar position on Iraq and we do not want to offend the church membership.  Our intent is to get Barbara Bush's attention.  This is also being billed, as per the flyer sent out, as "A Tea Party for Barbara Bush."  We will have a place for her set at the tea table.  We want to encourage her to talk to Cindy and the Goldstar Family members present.

There will be several members of Gold Star Families for peace present, including Cindy Sheehan, Dede Miller, Amy & Maxx Branham, Juan Torres, Beatriz Saldivar, and others.  Also present will be Ann Wright and Mimi Kennedy to add their voices and energy to our question.

Please line up single file on the sidewalk so as not to block the sidewalk.  Be alert to instructions from the police and police point-person/organizers.  The police have been contacted and briefed, and know about the plans for the event.  They will be there to discourage anyone who might want to harass us.

If there are any counter-demonstrators, do not engage them (or let them engage you), even if they want to stir up trouble. Just smile and ignore them.  Don't let them distract you from your job: a PEACEFUL demonstration (Show them how peaceful people behave" and "Be the bigger person").

Signs

Organizers are asking for protest signs to stay focused on the theme of US involvement in Iraq:

• why we need to bring the troops home now
• why did Barbara Bush's son send our sons & daughters to die in Iraq
• what noble cause, etc.

Because we will assemble in front of a church, we are having antiwar scriptural messages as the theme of many of our signs.  Some suggestions:

• "Thou shalt not kill"
• "Blessed are the peacemakers,"
• "Love thy neighbor as thyself" etc.
• "He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword"
• "Lay down your arms"
• "Love thy Neighbor as Thyself"
• "Who would Jesus bomb?"
  

Keep phrases short and use large type for maximum impact so drivers can read them as they go by.

If you'd like other sign ideas, call (713) 977-2969.

City ordinances require that any poles used with protest signs be no larger than 1/4 inch thick by 2 inches wide (if generally rectangular in shape), or 3/4 if not generally rectangular in shape.  Smaller is OK.  Wood poles within these sizes are OK, but not metal pipes.

 
Ride the Bus

The closest parking garages are about 6 blocks away -- East of Sage, towards Loop I-610.  However, this is still within walking distance, and we recommend parking there if you drive.  We cannot park in the church parking lot.

Want to save gas or not worry about where to park?  Metro bus route 6 ("Jensen/Tanglewood") runs east-west every 20 minutes on weekdays along Woodway, right by the protest site.  Metro says that they'll be running their regular weekday schedule on Presidents Day.  See http://ridemetro.org, click on "Schedules and Maps", and then select route 6.  Metro route 33 also runs north and south along S. Post Oak, which is only a 1/4 mile walk to the protest if you get off at Woodway.  It might be easier to park somewhere else along one of these bus routes and then take the bus to the protest.

 
Flyers:

See the "Attachments" below for a black & white flyer, and a color flyer that you can download, print, copy, and distribute.

Contact info:

• Amy Branham - abranham[at]houston.rr.com
• Madeleine Crozat-Williams - magicas[at]pdq.net
• Cheryl Norris - CherylLogic[at]aol[dot]com
  

 
Information on this is also posted on Houston Indymedia

More details to come!

Event Sponsor:
Gold Star Families for Peace, Veterans for Peace, Code Pink

Event Contact Name:
Amy Branham

Event Phone Contact Information:
281-251-3307

Event Email Address:
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