SODaPOP Members Get Capped

There's a ton of press coverage of the first SODaPOP [Seasons of Discontent: A Presidential Occupation Project (SODaPOP), introducing nonviolent direct action / civil disobedience / civil resistance against the war in Iraq into the presidential election process.] action in Des Moines on Thursday. Eighteen people were arrested in that action, ten in Rudy Giuliani's campaign office and eight in Hillary Clinton's.

Mona Shaw's blog: (If you read nothing else, you have got to read this one)

http://mypc.press-citizen.com/blogs/blog.php?id_blogs=21

David Goodner's blog

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/11/09/5125/

National journalist Mike Ferner's coverage

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/28565

Lead News Story - Des Moines KCCI Channel 8 News coverage of
SODaPOP Occupations of Clinton and Giulini's Offices
http://www.kcci.com/video/14549875/index.html

NY Times AP posting of story
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-War-Protests-Giuliani-Clinton.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

The AP story was picked up by national publications around the world.

Ten minute Youtube video of Kathy Kelly's talk Nov 7th in DM for Pre
SODaPOP occupations programs in Des Moines
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0lrCVsA_ps

SODaPOP will focus upon those Presidential candidates, both Democrats and Republicans, who do not publicly commit to 1) concrete plans for the complete withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Iraq within 100 days of becoming President, and 2) opposing U.S. military action against Iran. Candidates in the House or Senate are also expected to publicly commit to opposing any further funding for U.S. military forces in Iraq, other than those funds necessary for the immediate and complete withdrawal of all military forces.

SODaPOP Demands

While the demands of the campaign are still being finalized, the initial concept is to occupy the campaign headquarters and offices of Presidential candidates who do not commit to:

• Complete withdrawal of the U.S. military forces from Iraq and Afghanistan within 100 days of assuming the office of President of the United States.
• Complete halt to any and all military actions—including ground, air and naval—against Iraq and Iran.
• Full funding for the reconstruction of Iraq to repair the damage caused over these past 17 years of economic and military warfare that the U.S. and its allies waged against Iraq.
• Full funding for the Common Good in the U.S.—to rebuild our education and health care systems; to create jobs training programs for jobs that pay a living wage; to provide universal health care for all; to rebuild our country’s inner cities and rural communities; and to initiate a campaign on the scale of a new Tennessee Valley Authority and Rural Electrification Project of the Great Depression era to create affordable, safe and sustainable alternative forms of energy and energy consumption; and for other vital social programs.
• Full funding for the highest quality health care, education and jobs training benefits for veterans of our country’s Armed Services.

More SODaPOP activities here.