Breaking News: Trump’s Military Parade Postponed as Activist Protests Mount! Now Let’s Get It Cancelled!

August 16th, 2018 - by admin

Vote Vets & CNBC & Popular Resistance and 186 International Peace Groups – 2018-08-16 23:48:25

http://notrumpmilitaryparade.us/

ACTION ALERT: Breaking News –
Trump’s Military Parade Postponed! Now Let’s Get It Cancelled!

ACTION ALERT: Stop Trump’s War Parade;
Reclaim Armistice Day

VoteVets.org

(August 16, 2018) — This military parade — an international embarrassment all to honor a man who does nothing but dishonor veterans — is getting out of control. Here’s the latest:

$80 million more. Imagine the hungry who could be fed. Imagine the houseless who could be housed.

It’s time for Congress to put a stop to this abomination. A lot of them are afraid. They are worried about being called anti-veteran. But the truth is that it would be the most pro-veteran thing they can do. Let ’em know:

ACTION: Sign our petition, tell Congress “Enough is Enough” cut off funding for this international embarrassment.
Sign VoteVets petition: Tell Congress to cut off funding for Donald Trump’s military parade. Enough is Enough.

We’re still on this and will be all the way to the end. Thanks for standing with us in the fight.


Trump’s Military Parade Is
Now Estimated to Cost $92 million
– $80 Million More than Earlier Estimate

CNBC

President Trump’s military parade now estimated to cost $92 million from CNBC.

WASHINGTON (August 16, 2018) — President Donald Trump’s military parade this fall is shaping up to cost $80 million more than initially estimated. The Department of Defense and its interagency partners have updated their perspective cost estimates for the parade, according to a US defense official with firsthand knowledge of the assessment. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The parade, slated for Nov. 10, is estimated to cost $92 million, the official said. The figure consists of $50 million from the Pentagon and $42 million from interagency partners such as the Department of Homeland Security. An initial estimate last month pegged the prospective cost for the parade at $12 million.

A Pentagon spokesman said in an email to CNBC that the Defense Department expects to make an announcement soon, but he would not comment further. The White House referred questions to the Defense Department.

The $92 million cost estimate includes security, transportation of parade assets, aircraft, as well as temporary duty for troops. The official also noted that while the size and scope of the military parade can still shift, the plans currently include approximately eight tanks, as well as other armored vehicles, including Bradleys, Strykers and M113s.

The official also said that experts put to rest concerns about whether the Abrams tank, which weighs just shy of 70 tons, would ruin infrastructure in Washington. Their analysis found that, because of the vehicle’s distributed weight and track pads, the streets of the nation’s capital would not be compromised.

The parade is also expected to include helicopter, fighter jet, transport aircraft as well as historical military plane flyovers. Troops in period uniforms representing the past, present and future forces will march in the parade, as well.

Inspiration from France
The ceremony is said to be largely inspired by Trump’s front-row seat at France’s Bastille Day military parade in Paris.

In September, Trump met with French President Emmanuel Macron and recalled how much he enjoyed watching the parade. “It was a tremendous day, and to a large extent because of what I witnessed, we may do something like that on July 4 in Washington down Pennsylvania Avenue,” Trump said.

“We’re going to have to try to top it, but we have a lot of planes going over and a lot of military might, and it was really a beautiful thing to see, and representatives from different wars and different uniforms,” he added.

The US has not held a major military parade in Washington since 1991 to mark the end of Operation Desert Storm. That parade reportedly cost approximately $8 million and was paid for with about $3 million in government funds and the rest with private donations.

The $92 million figure dwarfs the $12 million estimate that was first reported by CNN last month. As noted at the time, the military parade was expected to cost as much as the “tremendously expensive” bilateral military exercise that Trump swiftly canceled with South Korea in the wake of the historic Singapore summit.

“We save a fortune by not doing war games, as long as we are negotiating in good faith – which both sides are!” Trump tweeted after meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore.

After meeting with the reclusive leader from the North to negotiate a nuclear deal, Trump said: “I think it’s inappropriate to be having war games. No. 1, we save money. A lot. And No. 2, it really is something that I think they [North Korea] very much appreciated.” Trump also said that flying US Air Force bombers in regional training missions is another drain on resources.

Trump’s move falls out of step with the Pentagon, which has maintained that the joint exercises are routine, purely defensive and vital to maintaining readiness on the Korean Peninsula.

There are currently 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea, a legacy of the Korean War, which ended in 1953 in an armistice that left the two Koreas technically still at war.


ACTION ALERT: Join A Broad Coalition Of Peace And Justice Groups
To Stop Trump’s Military Parade Before It Happens
If It Does Happen, Join Us In Protest!

Popular Resistance and 186 Other International Peace Groups

Divest From War, Invest In Peace, Reclaim Armistice Day
Popular Resistance

(August 14, 2018) — A network of 187 organizations has come together to urge a mass protest against the military parade in November called for by President Trump. The military parade is widely opposed.

Army Times conducted a poll of its readers; 51,000 responded and 89 percent said, “No, It’s a waste of money and troops are too busy.”

A Quinnipiac University poll found 61 percent of voters disapprove of the military parade, while only 26 percent support the idea. The national consensus is there should not be a military parade.

The organizations signed on to a letter that calls for the parade to be stopped, “We reject this gross display of power and violence. We call on you to stop the military parade.”

If the parade goes forward, the organizations will urge their members to come to Washington, DC to protest the parade or to organize sister-protests in their communities. Urge organizations you are a member of to sign on. This is an issue that impacts the economy, jobs, the environment, as well as wars and militarism. Sign on here.

The groups call on the nation to divest from war and invest in peace. The United States’ military budget is growing, now constituting 57% of federal discretionary spending, while programs for domestic needs such as food, education, housing and health care are being cut and US militarization is impacting most of the countries of the world, as well as our schools and communities.

President Trump plans to spend more than $10 million dollars to parade troops and military vehicles and weapons through the streets of Washington, DC on Veterans Day, which this year is the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day.

Armistice Day used to be a day to reflect on the impacts of war and to build toward war no longer being an instrument of foreign policy, not a day to glorify war with a military parade. Veterans and military families are organizing a solemn march in DC on November 11 to remember those who have been killed, both soldiers and civilians, and the 20 veterans who commit suicide every day and to reclaim Armistice Day.

While it is President Trump who is calling for the parade, both major political parties are responsible for escalating US militarization and aggression throughout the world and in the US. Members of Congress voted nearly unanimously to give the Pentagon a record $716 billion budget and are complicit in escalating tensions with Russia, North Korea, Iran, Nicaragua and Venezuela, among others.

Many groups are organizing to stop this parade, reclaim Veteran’s Day as Armistice Day and call for demilitarization and investment in programs that protect and support our communities in positive ways. The people of the United States need to show the world that we do not support never-ending war and aggression by our country. We urge people around the world to create sister-protests at US embassies to show their opposition to US militarism.

The US military is the largest carbon emitter in the world and in this era of climate change, there should no longer be wars for oil. This is one example of many of how militarism impacts other issues. Opposition to war spending and military activity needs to unite movements for a transformational change in US foreign policy.

The organizations intend to make the response in opposition to President Trump’s military parade bigger than the parade itself. Events for the weekend include a “Peace Rocks” Concert organized by CODEPINK on Friday, Nov. 9; along with Catharsis on the Mall, a Burning Man-like vigil for healing.

The protest of the military parade will be on Nov. 10. This will be followed by the veteran and military family-led solemn march through the war monuments on the mall on Nov. 11 at 11:00 am to recognize the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day.

The Anti-war Autumn will be kicked off by the Women’s March on the Pentagon on October 20 and 21, followed by a daily vigil at the Pentagon to connect the Women’s March to the protest against the military parade.

For more information, visit www.NoTrumpMilitaryParade.us.

The Following Letter Is Being Sent To
Members Of Congress To Call For
The Military Parade To Be Cancelled:

CELEBRATE PEACE * DIVEST FROM WAR * INVEST IN PEACE

President Trump has ordered a military parade to be held in Washington, DC to showcase “the price of freedom” on November 10, 2018. This glorification of war, which will cost millions of dollars, comes at a time when the United States is provoking more war and the military industrial complex is consuming a growing proportion, now almost two thirds, of our discretionary spending.

Militarism has invaded our communities where police treat residents as “the enemy,” demonstrators are met with tanks and recruiters are allowed into schools. Militarism has also infected our national psyche by normalizing violence as armed men shoot and kill in our schools, stores and offices.

We reject this gross display of power and violence. We call on you to stop the military parade.

We have had enough of war and are ready to put an end to it. Its basic purposes are to enrich the weapons-makers and to secure cheap resources and labor for global corporations. War is killing hundreds of thousands of civilians and displacing millions of people. US aggression is causing increased insecurity and an assault on our freedom as we must now submit to searches before we can travel or enter buildings that once had open doors.

The cost of war is great. Our infrastructure is failing. Poverty is growing, and the social safety net is disintegrating. Our children are hungry, our families are unhoused and our air, land and water are polluted. Our veterans are in such despair that 20 of them, mostly young veterans, are committing suicide each day.

We, groups who advocate for peace and justice, are organizing a celebration of peace in Washington, DC and across the country from November 9 to 11. On Sunday, November 11, the 100th anniversary of the Armistice that ended the World War I, veterans and military family members will lead a solemn procession to reclaim this day as a time to remember the cost of war and the preciousness of peace.

We urge you now to do all in your power to stop the military parade on November 10. The vast majority of people in the US and around the world crave peace.

If the parade goes forward, we will mobilize thousands of people on that day to protest it.

It is time to divest from the wars at home and abroad and invest in peace.

Signed,

A Future Without War

Alliance for Democracy

Alliance for Global Justice

Arlington (MA) United for Justice with Peace

Atlanta Grandmothers for Peace

Baltimore Palestine Solidarity

Battle Creek Voices of Peace

Be The Change

Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace

Beyond Nuclear

Black Alliance for Peace

Brandywine Peace Community

Brooklyn For Peace

Buddhist Peace Action Vermont

Center for Conscience in Action

Center for Global Justice

Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility

Chicago ALBA Solidarity

Chicago Anti-War Coalition

Citizens’ Environmental Coalition

Coalition Against US foreign Military Bases

Coalition for a Nuclear Free Great Lakes

CODEPINK

Colorado Veterans

Community Organizing Center for Mother Earth

Concerned Families of Westchester

Consistent Life Network

Corey E. Olsen Pipe Organs/Golden Ponds Farm

Crab Shell Alliance

Democratic World Federalists

Elder Rising

Elgin Green Groups 350.org

Environmentalists Against War

Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR-USA)

First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis

Fox Valley Citizens for Peace & Justice

Freedom Road Socialist Organization

Freedom Socialist Party — US

Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space

Granny Peace Brigade, New York City

Greater Boston United for Justice with Peace Coalition

Green Party, Pinellas County, FL

Green Party, Maryland

Green Party, Montgomery County, Maryland

Green Party of Michigan

Green Party, Capital Area, Michigan

Green Party of New Jersey

Green Party of Ocean County, New Jersey

Green Party of the United States

Green Party U. S. Peace Action Committee

Green Women Rising

Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action

Hands Off Syria Coalition

Indivisible Omaha

International Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity

International Peace Resource Center Library

InterReligious Task Force on Central America & Colombia

Itasca County Indivisible of Minnesota

Jemez Peacemakers

Joy Mennonite Church — Oklahoma City

Kinzua Country Indivisible

Know Drones

Korean American National Coordinating Council

Labor Fightback Network

Labor United For Class Struggle-LABOR TODAY

League of Young Communists, USA

LEPOCO Peace Center (Lehigh-Pocono Committee of Concern)

Libertarian Party of Wayne County, MI

Little Falls Occ U Pie

Metro Justice Peace Action and Education

Michigan Welfare Rights Organization

Military Families Speak Out

Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild

MLK Coalition of Greater Los Angeles

MoreLife

Movement For People’s Democracy

Movimiento Todos Por La Paz

Neighbors East and West

New Jersey State Industrial Union Council

New Progressive Alliance

New Wineskins Catholic Worker

Newton Dialogues on Peace and War

Nonviolent Peaceforce

NW Alliance for Alternative Media and Education

Northwest Suburban Peace & Education Project

Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

Nuclear Ban US

Nuclear Energy Information Service

Nuclear Watch South

NYC Jericho Amnesty Movement

Occupy Wall Street Special Projects Affinity Group

On Earth Peace

Party of Communists USA

Pax Christi Illinois

Pax Christi Lansing

Pax Christi Michigan

Pax Christi Seed Planters

Peace Action — Baltimore

Peace Action — Massachusetts

Peace Action — Michigan

Peace Action — New York

Peace Alliance National Department of Peacebuilding Committee

Peace and Freedom Party

Peninsula Peace and Justice Center

People For A New Society

Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign

Popular Resistance

Public Intellectuals for Social and Spare Change

Raging Grannies, New York Metro

Refuge Ministries of Tampa Bay International

Revolution Resource

Revolutionary Road Radio Show

Richmond Counterculture

Rogan’s List

Rooms for Peace

Saint Mary’s Area United Way

Self-Sovereign Individual Project

Show Up! America

SLO Mothers for Peace

Socialist Action

Solidareca Bonvolo

Stafford Indivisible Community Action Network

Stop Recruiting Kids Campaign Coalition

Syracuse Peace Council

Temitope Motivational Foundation

The Center for Transformational Practice

The Leaven Community

The Metta Center for Nonviolence

The National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth

The Nuclear Resister

The Oracle Institute (Home of the Peace Pentagon)

The Peace Resource

The Resistance Center for Peace and Justice

Topanga Peace Alliance

Trade Justice Alliance

Tree of Trust

United Church of Christ, Network for Environmental & Economic Responsibility

United for Peace and Justice

United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC)

Upstate Drone Action

US Friends of the Soviet People

US Peace Council

Vermont Action for Peace

Veterans Against Parade (VAP)

Veterans For Peace

Veterans For Peace, Chapter 001

Veterans For Peace, Chapter 9, Boston, MA ” The Smedley D. Butler Brigade

Veterans For Peace, Chapter 23, Rochester, NY

Veterans For Peace, Chapter 27

Veterans for Peace, Chapter 35, Spokane, WA

Veterans For Peace, Chapter 58, Woodstock, NY

Veterans For Peace, Chapter 63, Albuquerque, NM

Veterans For Peace, Greater Seattle Chapter 92

Veterans For Peace, Chapter 099

Veterans For Peace, Chapter 102

Veterans For Peace, Chapter 105, Baltimore Phil Berrigan Memorial Chapter

Veterans For Peace, Chapter 115

Veterans For Peace, Chapter 132, Corvallis, OR

Veterans For Peace, Adirondacks Chapter 147, Saratoga Springs, NY

Veterans For Peace, Chapter 168

Veterans For Peace Joan Duffy Chapter, Santa Fe, NM

Veterans Peace March

Viet Nam Veterans Against the War/Old School Sappers

Vietnam Veterans Against the War Legacy Trust

Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality

Voices for Creative Nonviolence

Wall of Women Colorado

War Resisters League

War Resisters League, Chicago Chapter

War Resisters League, New York City

Western New York Peace Center

Western States Legal Foundation

Women Against Military Madness

Women Against War

Women’s EcoPeace

Women’s March on the Pentagon

Women for Racial and Economic Equality (WREE)

Women’s Institute for Freedom of the Press

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Corvallis OR branch

Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom, Des Moines Branch

Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom, Fresno Branch

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Pittsburgh branch

Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom, US, Earth Democracy Committee

Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom, US Section, National Corporations v Democracy Issue Committee

World Beyond War

World Beyond War- Central Florida Chapter

World Can’t Wait

World Constitution & Parliament Association

Zona Libre (Mexico)