White Plains student Raina at the 24 hour encampment. Photo courtesy of Andrew Courtney.
WESPAC members have delivered petitions with hundreds of signatures to Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and Congress members Lowey and Engels asking them to vote NO to authorization of US military strikes against Syria. This position reflects a broad consensus among constituents.
Monday, Sept. 9th
Contact: Nada Khader 914-449-6514′
www.wespac.org
For Immediate Release
Westchester Residents Petition Congressional Reps: No War on Syria!
White Plains, NY. Following a 24-hour encampment in downtown White Plains to protest Obama administration plans to bomb Syria, concerned Westchester citizens will gather Monday afternoon to march to Rep. Nita Lowey’s office to present a petition calling on Congress to vote against the proposed attack.
On Friday, September 6, protesters set up an encampment at the Plaza Fountain, Main Street and Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains. The group included clergy, labor union members, students from area high schools and colleges, retired military personnel and activists from the full political spectrum from left wing Democrats and Green Party members to Tea Party supporters.
The planned Monday march—starting at 5pm at the Fountain–will present signatures gathered from passers-by at the encampment to Representative Nita Lowey before returning to the Fountain for adjournment by 6pm.
“What we are doing is what our fellow citizens all across the country are doing this week—demanding that our elected representatives actually represent the wishes of those who put them in office,” said Nada Khader, executive director of WESPAC, a peace and justice action network which initiated the actions. Our experience here in downtown White Plains this weekend, and through soliciting opinions throughout the county, has been very positive. With only a handful of exceptions, people signed our petitions and expressed great concern about attacking still another country in the Middle East. If Rep. Lowey—and Rep. Eliot Engel and Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer want to really represent the opinion of New Yorkers, they will vote against the war resolution.”
