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DECEMBER 3 “PEACE TRAIN" TO BOARD IN TRENTON AND PRINCETON EN ROUTE TO NEWARK FOR STATEWIDE RALLY AGAINST U.S. POLICY IN IRAQ
A “Peace Train” will begin in Trenton and stop in Princeton on its way to Newark on Saturday, December 3. The Peace Train is to express the growing opposition to the Bush administration’s policies in Iraq, in which more than 2,100 US soldiers and up to 100,000 Iraqi civilians have now died.
The Peace Train will carry supporters from throughout the Trenton and Princeton areas to Newark. Simultaneous kick-off rallies are scheduled at the Trenton Train Station at 10:30 AM and at the Shuttle (“Dinky”) Station on University Place in Princeton beginning at 10:30 AM. All are encouraged to come to the pre-boarding rallies, even if they can’t board the train for going into Newark.
Following the kick-off rallies, participants may board trains at 11:11 in Trenton and at 11:13 in Princeton. Each participant is responsible for purchasing his or her own train tickets.
Confirmed to speak at the Trenton pre-boarding Rally are Sue Niederer whose son was killed in Iraq; and a representative of Progressive Student Alliance from The College of New Jersey. Emceeing will be the Coordinator of Trenton Peace Action, Kate Esposito.
Confirmed speakers at the Princeton pre-boarding rally are the Rev. Dr. George Hunsinger, Professor at Princeton Theological Seminary; Dr. Parvaiz Malik, former President of the Islamic Society of Central New Jersey; three representatives of NJ Students for Peace, an affiliate of the Coalition for Peace Action with participants from five area high schools; and the Rev. Robert Moore, Executive Director of the Coalition for Peace Action.
After arriving at Penn Station in Newark at 12:15, participants will join a march and rally beginning at 12:30 at Peter Francesca Park, immediately adjacent to the train station. The slogans of the march, which is being coordinated by the NJ Coalition Against War on Iraq, a statewide coalition of 36 groups, include: “End the US War in Iraq”; and “Support Our Troops: Bring Them Home.”
The Princeton and Trenton events on the Peace Train are among at least ten “feeder” events planned that day around the state.
Demonstrators are scheduled to arrive by NJ Transit in Newark by 12:30, at which time a statewide Rally will commence at Peter Francesca Park (diagonally across from Newark's Penn Station), followed at 1:15 PM by a march through Newark. A concluding Rally is scheduled at Newark City Hall.
Confirmed speakers at the Newark Rallies include: Michael Hoffman, an Iraq war veteran who is co-founder of Iraq Vets Against the War; the Rev. Reginald Jackson, Executive Director of the Black Ministers Council of New Jersey; US Rep. Frank Pallone (tentative); Larry Hamm, President of People’s Organization for Progress; and Ms. Niederer, Dr. Hunsinger, and the student representatives mentioned above. Co-facilitating the Rallies will be Rev. Moore and Madelyn Hoffman, Executive Director of NJ Peace Action, who are also the Co-chairs of the NJ Coalition Against War in Iraq.
The Rev. Robert Moore, Executive Director of the Coalition for Peace Action, said, "President Bush’s unilateral invasion of Iraq, which we strongly opposed, was based entirely on deceptions. No weapons of mass destruction were found; no connection to Al Qaida or terrorism was demonstrated; and Iraq was no threat to the US or our allies. Iraq has become a quagmire just like Vietnam. There is no military solution to this issue. Only the internationalizing of the security, re-building, and democratization of Iraq can end the carnage there. We must continue to speak out until this tragic blunder is ended, and the policy corrected.”
For further information, contact the Coalition for Peace Action at (609) 924-5022 or visit their web site, www.peacecoalition.org.
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