Bush to Face Street Protests Over Iraq Escalation Plan

A number of us will be headed for Washington within the next few days.

Bush to Face Street Protests Over Iraq Escalation Plan:

Wednesday 10 January 2007

New York - The Bush administration's plan to beef up the U.S. military presence in Iraq is likely to create a new wave of protests across the United States in the coming days.

As Bush is expected to announce his plans Wednesday to send approximately 20,000 more troops to Iraq, anti-war groups say they will hold rallies and sit-ins in dozens of cities across the nation to press the U.S. Congress to thwart any troop escalation.
Within 24 hours of Bush's announcement, there will be protests all over the country, according to Tom Andrews, former Congressman and director of Win Without War, one of the largest anti-war coalitions.

Andrews' group, which is working closely with United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ), another major anti-war umbrella group, has planned a series of protests, including a Web-based campaign to push Congress to block Bush's plans for Iraq.
In addition to rallies and sit-ins, the campaign includes personal YouTube.com appeals and photos calling for legislators in Washington to reject Bush's strategy for Iraq and call for an end to the occupation.

Those participating in the Web-based campaign have already begun to download 'No' signs, with petitions urging Congress to exercise its powers of the purse to block any escalation of war in Iraq.

'It is unbelievable that after the voters and the Iraqis said they want and end to this war, Bush is going to escalate it,' said Leslie Cagan of UFPJ. 'He was wrong to begin the war and he is wrong to prolong it even one more day.'

Cagan called the Iraq war 'outrageous,' and demanded that Bush recall all U.S. troops from Iraq.

For his part, however, Bush has made clear that he not only intends to increase the size of the U.S.