| WASHINGTON
/ HOLLYWOOD - February 19 - “Last weekend we marched in the streets, next
week we’re taking it to the suites of official Washington,” said former
Congressman Tom Andrews, National Director of Win Without War.
“Political leaders need to
know we are serious, we are organized and we are growing in strength,” he
said. “On February 26th, we will let our fingers do the marching and demand
that our voices be heard.”
Martin Sheen, who plays President
Jeb Bartlet on the NBC hit series, The West Wing, is featured in a Win Without
War TV ad released at the news conference. He called on Americans from every state
to participate in the Virtual March on Washington: “Our message to Washington
will be clear – "Don’t invade Iraq! We can contain Saddam Hussein
without killing innocent people, diverting us from the war on terrorism and putting
us all at risk.”
“Our leaders in Washington
are out of step with millions of Americans,” said Janeane Garofalo at the
LA news conference. “This is clearly a time when we must join together and
lead Washington back to its senses,” she said. “The Virtual March
on Washington is an opportunity to do just that.”
“The National Council of Churches
is calling February 26th ‘A Day of Prayer and Faxing,’ ” said
Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell, Director of the Washington DC office of the National
Council of Churches “We are urging all of our member denominations and congregations
to join the march. They can do so without even leaving their homes”, she
said.
Organizers of the Virtual
March on Washington hope to overwhelm the White House and every member of the
US Senate with calls, faxes and e-mails on February 26th. An “Online Headquarters”
was unveiled at the news conference – a web site, hosted by Win Without
War affiliate MoveOn.org. Virtual March participants are being asked to register
for the march at www.MoveOn.org.
They will be asked to pledge to call and fax their two US Senators and the White
House at particular times during the day.
“We hope to keep the phones
and fax lines busy with marchers from 9:00 in the morning through 5:00 in the
afternoon”, said Terry O’Neill, Vice President for membership of the
National Organization of Women, another Win Without War affiliate. “Senators
can expect a call a minute”, she said, “and I hope they listen.”
The Virtual March was announced at
press conferences in Washington, DC and Hollywood, CA that featured Artists United
to Win Without War members Martin Sheen, Anjelica Huston, Janeane Garafolo, James
Cromwell, Mike Farrell, members of the cast of “The West Wing” and
Win Without War coalition leaders. The action follows close on the heels of last
week’s record setting worldwide antiwar protests. Win Without War is America’s
largest, mainstream coalition of organizations opposed to pre-emptive war with
Iraq.
The press conference was sponsored
by Win Without War, the nation’s mainstream coalition of organizations opposed
to war with Iraq. Members include:
American Friends Service Committee
Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities
Campaign for UN Reform
Council for a Livable World
Conference of Major Superiors of Men
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Fourth Freedom Forum
Global Exchange
Greenpeace
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
MoveOn
NAACP
National Council of Churches
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
National Organization for Women (NOW)
NETWORK - A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
Oxfam America
Pax Christi USA
Peace Action
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Rainbow/Push Coalition
Sierra Club
Sojourners
Soulforce
The Tikkun Community
TrueMajority
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society
Us Foundation
Veterans for Common Sense
Women's Action for New Directions
Working Assets
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