I received the following email from SOA Watch on their campaign to promote awareness of the need to close the adversarial military-to-military training at Ft. Benning, Georgia–once and for all. The focus in on Street Theater–and in the wake of the USA boycott in Bolivia this month, it is time to send the message that American’s want Washington and DOD leadership to do much better. Americas educational resources are being wasted (and worse) on such a project in Ft. Benning.
Photos: Street Theater to Close the SOA
Human rights activists staged a street theater action and passed out fliers in front of the Capitol South metro station in Washington, DC to remind hundreds of congressional staffers who passed by that the decisions that they are making on Capitol Hill are causing death and suffering in Latin America. The street theater was part of the SOA Watch Spring event.
Visit www.SOAW.org for a Spring Event report back by Cassandra Morgan.
Click here for additional photos of the street theater.
For a complete report back from this weekend’s Spring Event visit www.SOAW.org.
To see additional photos of the street theater action, click here.
Educate your community
This street theater action can be easily replicated. Military uniforms are being sold for as little as $10 per outfit at military surplus stores and at thrift stores near military bases across the country. What else do you need? Cardboard-cut-out-guns, white T-Shirts, red paint, possibly a banner and a bunch of fliers to hand out to passerbys.
You can create your own flier or use this general tri-fold flier (legal size paper) about the SOA and the campaign to shut it down:
Frontpage: http://soaw.org/docs/outside2010.pdf
Backpage: http://soaw.org/docs/inside2010.pdf
Stage the street theater in a high traffic area in your community or in front of the congressional office of your Member of Congress if she/he has not gone on record against the School of the Americas (SOA/ WHINSEC). In addition, you could also invite the local media to cover the protest, take pictures and post them on blogs and social networking pages, borrow a bullhorn from your union local and have a speaker on the scene who can give background information while the street theater is taking place. However, don’t let the perfect become the enemy of the good – a basic action that is drawing attention is better than an action that is not happening because the preparations would be too involved. Contact SOA Watch at 202-234-3440 and let us know about your local events!
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