DC Anti-War Network

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Opposition to…
Part of a series on Anti-war topics

Military action in Iran • Iraq War • War in Afghanistan • War on Terrorism • Landmines • Vietnam War • Nuclear armament • World War II • World War I • Second Boer War • American Civil War • War of 1812 • American Revolutionary War
Agents of opposition
Anti-war organizations • Conscientious objectors • Draft dodgers • Peace movement • Peace churches • Peace camp
Related ideologies
Anti-imperialism • Antimilitarism • Appeasement • Nonviolence • Pacificism • Pacifism • Satyagraha • Vanguardism
Media
Books • Films • Songs
Politics Portal · v • d • e

The DC Anti-War Network (DAWN) is a grassroots non-hierarchical anti-war organization formed after the September 11, 2001 attacks. The group opposes using 9/11 victims to perpetuate the War on Terrorism, all forms of national, racial, economic or religious violence and bigotry, and torture. The group demands an end to war and occupation as a foreign policy and repeal of the Patriot Act.

DAWN has no official leaders and its meetings are open to everyone who can agree with its points of unity. These points include: The group "seeks global peace through economic and social means, and a world of ethnic, racial, and religious tolerance." In fact, DAWN technically does not have any members. People who come to DAWN's weekly meetings or actions are called participants.

This network, although some would say group, was born from a series of protests and ad-hoc activist meetings prior to the invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, the unofficial group toyed with several names, such as the D.C. League Against the War (DCLAW) proposed by author and activist Dave Zirin, before settling on DAWN.

In the autumn of 2007, DAWN ceased meeting as an organization, although many individuals who had been active within the organization continue to be extremely active both as activists and organizers, individually and within other collectives and organizations.

1 History
2 See also
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

[edit] 2001-2004

Since DAWN's founding in 2001, DAWN activists have organized and participated in dozens of protests, vigils, forums, and other events. See the DAWN Events and Reports links. These include the several large protests of the Iraq War organized by United for Peace and Justice, as well as International ANSWER, in DC and New York over the last 5 years; local events at the anniversaries of the Iraq War and at significant milestones in the war; numerous anti-torture protests; protests against administration figures like Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle; and protests at President George W. Bush State of the Union addresses.

DAWN participants organized against the 2004 Republican and Democratic national conventions. DAWN's October 23, 2004 coffin memorial at the Lincoln Memorial honoring American and Iraqi Victims of War with 1,100 coffins got national publicity.

DAWN participants engage in a street theatre demonstration against torture outside the Supreme Court on February 9, 2005.

DAWN also has organized with School of the Americas Watch, and sponsored several counter-recruitment forums and protests. It has endorsed and participated in several protests against the Israeli Occupation of Palestine and aggression against Palestinians. DAWN has led the way in local protests of the pro-war machinations of neoconservatives and American Israel Public Affairs Committee, also known as AIPAC. From 2004 until recently, it had been one of the few Washington, D.C. area groups consistently working in opposition to war against Iran by the U.S. or Israel.

[edit] 2005

One of DAWN's largest actions was part of the January 20, 2005 counter-inaugural protest,^[1] where participants staged two separate events, both meeting at Malcolm X Park: a rally and march to McPherson Square, and a civil disobedience die-in, which marched to Lafayette Park and then laid in the street.^[2] The DAWN-initiated January 21, 2005 "March on the Neocons" featured 50 protesters marching on six downtown Washington, DC neoconservative headquarters.^[3]

On February 9, 2005 three DAWN participants were arrested during an anti-torture protest on the day after Alberto Gonzales confirmation as the Attorney General. In May DAWN sponsored its first protest against the AIPAC annual conference, which included speakers like the International Solidarity Movement's Huwaida Arraf and E. Faye Williams of the Council for the National Interest.^[4]

DAWN was instrumental in gathering activists to encourage UFPJ and ANSWER to work together in a massive anti-war mobilization in September 2005 through a Unity Meeting. The group was largely successful in this endeavor, but the two national coalitions had major disagreements and parted ways soon after.

The six-hour long Operation Ceasefire concert during the mobilization was partially organized and promoted by DAWN participants. Some DAWN regulars also played a role in organizing and participating in the massive act of nonviolent civil resistance at the White House.^[5]

[edit] 2006

In early to mid-2006, DAWN's Weekly Action Group ("WAG") focused on having weekly actions aimed at emphasizing what the group sees as connections between militarism in the United States and other related issues. Protests were staged at the home of World Bank President and architect of the Iraq War, Paul Wolfowitz and repeatedly at the home of Director of National Intelligence and former U.S. Ambassador to Honduras, the United Nations, and Iraq, John Negroponte.

Participants in the "No Armageddon For Bush" rally join in a tug of war with people dressed to resemble Bush administration officials.

In March 2006, a small number of DAWN participants were among the first protesters to interrupt Congressional hearings on funding the war and occupation of Iraq.^[6]

In the spring and summer of 2006, DAWN initiated another protest at the annual AIPAC convention; a protest at a March House Appropriations Committee meeting on war funding; an April forum about the Stephen Walt-John Mearsheimer "Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy" paper; a protest at Representative James Sensenbrenner's home in solidarity with immigrants; a June 6 "6-6-6 No Armageddon For Bush" rally and exorcism of the White House; a July protest of pro-war-with-Iran Christians United for Israel lobby group; an August 9th Nagasaki Day nuclear policy and war forum at the U.S. Congress which was shown on C-SPAN; an August 30 protest of the Washington Post over alleged war profiteering; a satirical Halloween "United We Suck" White House action; and a December Christmas carol protest of the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony which is dedicated to peace.

DAWN also endorsed, and members worked on, other groups' actions like a protest of the Gridiron Club Annual Dinner; the 25th Anniversary celebration of the 24 Hour "Peace Park" Vigil at Lafayette Square in June; anti-torture vigils and protests at the White House and the U.S. Senate; and protests against Israel's attack on Lebanon^[7] and ongoing siege of Gaza.

In the fall of 2006, DAWN activists organized and participated in the two week encampment Camp Democracy held on the National Mall; the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance and Declaration of Peace September 26 and 27 nonviolent civil disobedience actions at the U.S. House and Senate; the October 17 Washington Region Religious Coalition Against Torture protest and civil disobedience at the White House as President George W. Bush signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006; and the November Election-related Gold Star Families for Peace actions.

[edit] 2007

In 2006, DAWN voted to stop paying dues to UFPJ "forever."^[8] However, many participants asserted that future DAWN meetings could reverse this decision, and in fact repayment of dues was done in March 2007.

In 2007, attendances at DAWN meetings fluctuate, and sometimes the minimum of 10 participants needed for quorum is not met. This makes it difficult for DAWN, as a group, to make decisions. However, many DAWN participants are active in other anti-war groups and coalitions, including the Declaration of Peace, United for Peace and Justice, the Washington Peace Center, Code Pink, DC Area War Tax Resistance, and the International Socialist Organization.

DAWN has also continued to organize events in 2007, including a protest attended by Cindy Sheehan at Arlington Memorial Bridge marking 3,000 U.S. soldier deaths; forums on a potential military attack against Iran and the government's policy of extraordinary rendition and use of torture; and DAWN's largest protest yet of AIPAC's annual conference.

In June 2007, DAWN was involved with organizing, promoting and participating in anti-occupation and anti-torture rallies and vigils, such as one organized by the Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition. It continues to reach out to other groups to coordinate anti-war and anti-fascist actions.

In the last quarter of 2007 DAWN ceased meeting. However, individuals who had been deeply involved with the organization (or collective), remain heavily involved in the peace and justice movement, both independently and with other organizations and collectives. "DAWNistas," as they have often been called, are involved with local, regional and national campaigns and groups.