USA

Mon May 17 @ 12:00 pm EDT at the Tip O’Neill Federal Building on Causeway street near Boston Garden

As we move into the post-pandemic, Biden era, it’s time to change what we buy with our tax dollars. The pandemic and the resulting economic crisis illuminated glaring inequalities and the human costs of budget priorities that enrich the wealthy and left people unable to protect their health, hungry and homeless, while the military-industrial complex drowns in super-profits and paves the way for new and dangerous Cold Wars. Trillions have been spent chasing demons abroad and “bad hombres” at our borders, but Covid-19 bring us to our knees. This Tax Day, stand with us and demand that your tax dollars be spent on the PEOPLE and on the PLANET, and not on the profits of corporations and wealthy individuals.

MONDAY, MAY 17th: 1 PM
Location: City Hall Park (the fountain area)
Press Conference for Move the Money Res. 747-A
Please join us at City Hall Park (the fountain area) at 1:00 pm. Monday May 17. The Press conference will be led by Move the Money Resolution 747-A prime sponsor Ydanis Rodriguez. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and the other Council co-sponsors are invited as well. We are VERY close to a majority at the City Council in support of 747-A! The press conference should help us reach a solid majority. Our grassroots presence on Monday is necessary. It’s time for our NYC City Council to take a stand, calling on the Federal Government to downsize the Pentagon and put those tax dollars to work in our communities — for public services, social and cultural programs, jobs and greatly improved housing, education, healthcare, transit etc.
More information: facebook.com/MTMnyc

12 PM – 1 PM
Location: Fort Hamilton Post Office, 88th Street & 5th Avenue

Tax Day Rally – Bay Ridge
Join Peace Action Bay Ridge in rallying against income inequality and excessive military spending.
Contact:
bayridgepeaceaction@yahoo.com
(646) 824-5506
www.panys.org/BR

Start: Monday, May 17, 2021 • 10:30 AM • Eastern Daylight Time (US & Canada) (GMT-04:00)
End: Monday, May 17, 2021 • 11:30 AM • Eastern Daylight Time (US & Canada) (GMT-04:00)
Host Contact Info: David, david@worldbeyondwar.org
More info here

Saturday, May 15, 2021, from 10:00 to 11:30 am
Walpole Peace and Justice Group will hold a tax day rally calling for the U.S. to drastically reduce its military expenditures and make the funding of human needs, such as health and the environment, the priority. A 40 foot budget banner will be displayed, showing where the Federal discretionary budget is spent today.
The vigil will be at the Walpole Common on the corner of Main and West Streets near the gazebo.

Monday, May 17, 2021: 3 pm – 5 pm
Times Square Military Recruiting Station (43 St. & 7th Ave.), followed by march to GPO (32 St. & 8th Ave.)
More Info here

38 organizations that work in the United States, sign a petition to call politics to significantly decrease spending on the military and nuclear weapons for FY2022 and to reallocate that money into true national priorities like public health, diplomacy, infrastructure, and addressing climate change.

More info here 

Maine, Brunswick on the Green at NOON
More info here

Monday May 17, 7-8 am
Vigil at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base to raise awareness tax payer money to fund wars and occupations, the profits made by Raytheon and to remember those lives lost to drones and other instruments of war. Park at recreation field parking lot at N-W corner of Craycroft & Golf Links with access from Craycroft. Signs provided, or bring your own!
More info: 323-8697 or
nukeresister@igc.org

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Monday, May 17, 10am-6pm. WTR information table outside the Brattleboro Food Coop, 2 Main Street. Sponsored by Pioneer Valley War Tax Resistance. For more information, contact Daniel Sicken at 802-387-2798 or dhsicken@yahoo.com

Saturday, April 10, Noon-1pm. Vigil to protest federal tax dollars for war and environmental harm, U.S. Army Reserve, 5130 W. Silver Spring Dr. Sponsored by Milwaukee War Tax Resistance, Casa Maria Catholic Worker, & Peace Action of Wisconsin. For more info, contact Lincoln or Mikel, Casa Maria at usury_sucks@hotmail.com or (414) 344-5745.

Wednesday, May 12, 9:30a Eastern. Zoom. Attorney Peter Goldberger will explore the current feasibility of taking war tax resistance/redirection through the courts given what appears to be a more conservative judicial system that might be more amenable to religious freedom issues. 1040 for Peace sees this session as a continuation of his November 8, 2014 “What Does the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby Decision Mean for War Tax Resisters?” which was presented at one of NWTRCC’s national conferences.
Zoom info: TBA
Meeting ID: TBA
Passcode: TBA
One tap mobile: +19292056099

Wednesday, April 14, 7:30pm Eastern. Zoom “Service of Lament & Dedication.” Participants will lament the portion of federal taxes that support the military and dedicate to God letters of dissent to the U.S. government as well as conscientious objector contributions to peacebuilding organizations (perhaps in lieu of paying that portion, or symbolic amount, of the current federal tax levy that underwrites war and militarism).
Zoom info: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85245131803?pwd=UTdibTNtckV3SmpUNUpqTW5WUHBoUT09
Meeting ID: 852 4513 1803
Passcode: 758202
One tap mobile: +19292056099

Thursday, April 15, 7:30-9am. Sign-holding on Portland bridges (Burma Shave Style). Meet at E. Burnside and MLK Jr. Blvd. Sponsored by War Resisters League – Portland. For more information, Email: jgrueschow@comcast.net.

Monday May 17 Time TBA Vigil at IRS office at the old Federal Building 211 East 7th Avenue. People interested in helping to organize the event, or needing more information can call Sue Barnhart at 541-731-1189 or suebarnhart2@gmail.com

Saturday May 15, 9 am-3 pm. Vigil at the Farmers Market between High and Oak Street with a large banner to indicate military spending in the U.S. People interested in helping to organize the event, or needing more information can call Sue Barnhart at 541-731-1189 or suebarnhart2@gmail.com

Thursday April 15. Time TBA Vigil at IRS office at the old Federal Building 211 East 7th Avenue. People interested in helping to organize the event, or needing more information can call Sue Barnhart at 541-731-1189 or suebarnhart2@gmail.com

Saturday April 10, 9 am-3 pm. Vigil at the Farmers Market between High and Oak Street with a large banner to indicate military spending in the U.S. People interested in helping to organize the event, or needing more information can call Sue Barnhart at 541-731-1189 or suebarnhart2@gmail.com

Saturday, April 10, 7:00pm Eastern (Zoom). War Tax Resister Frida Berrigan will discuss Dr. King’s words about racism militarism and excessive materialism. This event is cosponsored by the Cleveland Nonviolence Network, Cleveland Peace Action, Northeast Ohio Sierra Club, and the Inter Religious Task Force on Central America and Colombia. Information about the event, including registration information can be found here: www.facebook.com/events/3007265722933910/

Thursday, April 15, Noon-1pm. Vigil and leafleting outside the IRS office, 290 Broadway at Duane Street, across from the Federal Building. War tax redirections may be announced. Info: Sponsored by NYC War Resisters League. For more information: www.nycwarresisters.org/demonstrations or call (718) 768-7306.

Thursday April 15, 12noon- 2pm. Vigil at IRS Building at 12th and Spruce. For more information, contact Chrissy Kirchhoefer at 314.660.2300 or outreach@nwtrcc.org.

For more information contact Craig Simpson at cs4202144@yahoo.com

Monday April 12 4:30-5:30 pm. Vigil outside Federal Building at Jefferson and Main. For more information, contact Peter Smith at psmith@saintmarys.edu or (574) 532-3720.

Monday May 17 4:30-5:30 pm. Vigil outside Federal Building at Jefferson and Main. For more information, contact Peter Smith at psmith@saintmarys.edu or (574) 532-3720.

April 15 7-8:30 pm. A Tax Day Like No Other: Teach In. For information about speakers and how to register for the webinar hosted by Mass Peace Action and New England War Tax Resisters click here. For additional information email info@masspeaceaction.org, 617-354-2169

Chicago: Thursday April 15 All day. Online social media messaging on U.S. taxes and military spending. For more information, see www.wrlchicago.org

Thursday, April 15, 11a-Noon. Tax Day Action at the Border: Move our Money from Death to Life. A 2021 tax day vigil to mourn deaths, pain, and suffering caused by U.S. policies at the U.S.-Mexico border. This event will take place at the San Diego-Tijuana Border. (Exact location is pending.) Sponsored by the Peace Resource Center of San Diego, the American Friends Service Committee, and Otay Mesa Detention Center. For more information contact Anne at the Peace Resource Center at anne@prcsd.org or a Facebook link to the event.

Berkeley – Thursday April 15, 6-7:30p. The People’s Life Fund will host a redirection ceremony to invest $61,000 to community to community needs in the Bay Area. A spokesperson from each group receiving the grant will provide a brief intro to their mission and their work. We will end with optional “Choose Your Own” Breakout Groups for anyone who wants to stay for a few extra minutes to chat with other war tax resisters or other grantees. Zoom Meeting ID: 848 6187 3552. Passcode: 739561 One tap mobile: +16699006833 For more information see, www.nowartax.org or contact nowartax@riseup.net.

April 30-May 2, 2021

Join us the first weekend in May for a mini-conference on Friday and Saturday (and our business meeting on Sunday). Check Program Schedule below for more details.

In order to participate in the event, you will need a computer with a camera. You could also use a smartphone, but a computer is preferable. You need to register before the event in order to be sent connection info for the conference. (Please register before April 24, 2021.

More information here

Thursday, April 15, 2021
Noon – 1 pm
Vigil and leaflet at the IRS
290 Broadway, New York, NY 10007
Bring your own sign or use one of ours

Monday, May 17 – U.S. “Tax Day” for 2021 3:00 pm
meet at Military Recruiting Station, Times Square 43rd St. & Broadway, Manhattan
3:30 pm march to GPO/train station
Eighth Ave. btwn 32nd & 33rd Sts.
4:00 pm – Banners, leafleting, vigil outside General Post Office/Moynihan Train Station
Contact:
NYC WAR RESISTERS LEAGUE
nycWRL@nycwarresisters.org
https://nycwarresisters.org/

Register Here

Each year, about two-thirds of the United States’ budget is spent on militarized responses to problems—including the Pentagon, abusive immigration enforcement, and policing. This money could have had a transformative impact on things that would actually make our communities healthy, safe, and strong—like education, universal health care, or peacebuilding.

In this webinar, you’ll learn why the United States’ militarized budget is such a problem, how the budget and appropriations process works, and how you can get involved in the call to move money out of militarism and into our communities!

 Speakers Include:

• Ashik Siddique, National Priorities Project
• Savannah Wooten, Public Citizen
• Grace Kindeke, AFSC
• Moderator: Tori Bateman, AFSC

A Tax Day Like No Other
Pressing for our budget priorities amid pandemic, economic and climate crises and new Cold Wars
Tax Day Community Rally – May 14 or 17, noon – downtown Boston
Webinar – April 15, 7pm
As we move into the post-pandemic, Biden era, it’s time to change what we buy with our tax dollars. The pandemic and the resulting economic crisis illuminated glaring inequalities and the human costs of budget priorities that enrich the wealthy and left people unable to protect their health, hungry and homeless, while the military-industrial complex drowns in super-profits and paves the way for new and dangerous Cold Wars. Trillions have been spent chasing demons abroad and “bad hombres” at our borders, but Covid-19 bring us to our knees. The Biden Rescue Plan, with the child tax credit, unemployment, child and family care provisions, is bringing relief and hope to millions of Americans. But now the work begins to impact Congress debates over the national budget paid for by our taxes.
Our Call:
• Make the Rescue Plan’s safety net provisions permanent
• Fund housing, healthcare for all, and education – forgive college loans
• Pass the job creating, GREEN infrastructure bill
• Tax the 1% and big corporations; create a wealth tax so everyone pays their fair share
• Repeal the Trump $2 trillion tax cuts
• Cut the Pentagon’s gargantuan budget to pay for what we need
• Defund new nuclear weapons, cut F-35 and B-1 bomber

Global Days of Action on Military Spending Protest
Saturday, April 17, 2021, Noon- 1 PM

US Army Reserve Drill Center 4850 W Silver Spring Dr, Milwaukee, WI 

Milwaukee action during the International Peace Bureau’s Global Days of Action on Military Spending.

The sequester that has long tied U.S. spending for essential social services to the level of military spending has expired. We can now cut military spending without cutting spending for public health, housing, food assistance and green jobs. After a year-long pandemic, with all of the deaths and suffering it has caused, there is broad public and Congressional support for reducing military spending to revitalize the economy.

 It’s time to end $1 trillion a year being spent on wars and the military, and for reductions in the Pentagon’s $2 trillion plan to upgrade the U.S. nuclear arsenal and its delivery systems,  and not to spend $100 billion to replace U.S. first strike and vulnerable land-based ICBM’s.

We have a new and growing Congressional Defense Spending Reductions Caucus, committed to cutting at least 10% of the Pentagon’s budget. Join the Peace Action WI Campaign to Reduce Military Spending.

ORGANIZE & JOIN! https://www.peaceactionwi.org/

While those currently in power in Washington and in corporate boardrooms – weapons manufacturers and investors – would like us to believe we must sacrifice everything for “security”, we reject this policy of militarism and propaganda of fear. “True security is found not in domination and weapons of war, but in peaceful international cooperation.” (Patricia Hynes, Traprock Center for Peace and Justice).

Accordingly, we call upon all nations, including the US, to join us in endorsing the call of UN Secretary General Guerres and supporting inclusive peace negotiations – with women equally represented at the peace table.
When all children of the world have access to clean water and affordable health care, are well fed, and live free of fear in homes with loving people around them – then, indeed, we can celebrate a happy Mother’s Day!

In this pandemic period, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom US honors all mothers and women nationwide who have lost their lives to COVID-19, including 88 (mostly female) nurses, as of this writing. Two women who had cared for both Civil War soldiers and community health needs founded Mother’s Day. In that horrific time of social and economic crisis, they advocated for peace. During this catastrophic pandemic, we, too, call for healthcare for all and peace as we celebrate Mother’s Day. (…) Covid-19 has exposed fault lines too long ignored; now we see clearly those who have been hurt the most.

Originally published in WILPF US website

April 22 2020 is officially the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. This Earth Day, they asked their supporters to help spread the message that #WarIsNotGreen.

Talking points on social media about #WarisNOTGreen: 

• Did you know the Pentagon is the single largest institutional consumer of fossil fuels in the world? #WarisNOTGreen! we need to cut the Pentagon budget and invest in a Green New Deal NOW! www.codepink.org/wing
• Did you know If the Pentagon were a country, its fuel use alone would make it the 47th largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world? If we’re going to address the climate crisis, we need to #DivestFromWar NOW! #WarIsNotGreen

• Instead of spending $740 billion on the Pentagon budget every year, we should invest in a Green New Deal and cultivate our local peace economies #WarIsNotGreen
• US military emissions come mainly from fueling weapons and equipment. That means that asset managers like @blackrock are contributing greatly to climate change when they invest billions in weapons manufacturers like Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. #WarIsNotGreen

We might be physically distancing, but you can still join in a strong show of social solidarity this Tax Day to raise awareness about cutting money from the Pentagon Budget to pay for vital social services. It’s like being in the streets together with banners that decry that we spend $740 billion of our tax dollars to fund war, violence and militarism. Get engaged with us on social media!

Physician for Social Responsibility Wisconsin shared the GDAMS infographic on Facebook with this message: “Take a look! Thank you GCOMS for this important graphic on the costs of warfare vs healthcare”.

Pax Christi USA joined partners in responding to global military spending report and shared this message on their social media. More about this here and here.

National Priorities posted on its website an article by Jessica Corbett making reference to GDAMS and IPB: ‘Halt This Madness’: US Drove Last Year’s Over $1.9 Trillion in Global Military Spending.

Lack of preparedness for the COVID-19 epidemic reveals the potentially grave consequences of slashing social safety net spending while deluging the military-industrial complex with our tax dollars. Trump and the Pentagon are pressing yet another massive increase in military spending. Critics from Washington think tanks working with the Poor People’s Campaign, reinforced by grassroots activists across the country are demanding that money be moved from wars and preparations for wars to addressing our urgent human needs: health, climate, housing, education and more.

We hope that you will consider organizing a local event. To help you prepare for this year’s GDAMS and for longer term efforts to change our national spending priorities, we have scheduled an inspiring briefing call featuring these two leading authorities on military spending and alternatives.

American Friends Service Committee, besides coordinating the video released on April 27 (page 16) and the joint statement (above), launched a campaign on its social media, which include an easy-to-use form you can use to contact Congress.

“The United States has spent $6.4 trillion on post-9/11 wars. These wars have killed more than 800,000 people and displaced at least 37 million more. This money could have had a transformative impact on things that would actually make our communities healthy, safe, and strong—like universal health care, education and peacebuilding. Instead, Congress continues to waste taxpayer dollars on weapons and war. It’s time to reimagine security. We need significant cuts to the Pentagon budget, and for Congress to instead prioritize peacebuilding and investment in our communities.

Tell Congress: Stop spending our tax dollars on weapons and war and reinvest in our communities! You can find this online tool here.

AFSC released a U.S. statement with 39 organizations reacting to the new global military spending report that can be found here. We also put out a video statement with several partners, which can be found here.

Visit our website here.

A press conference with organizations from across the ideological spectrum will share their reactions to new data on global military spending. There will also be some sort of online action that individuals can participate in.

Organized by: American Friends Service Committee & partners.

Where: Online – AFSC Facebook can be found here

When: April 29th. Exact time to be determined.

OUR TAXES-OUR CHOICES

Wars, Military Spending and Tax Cuts for the Rich Are Hurting Our Communities – And Destroying the Planet!

Fix the T – Free Bus Service in Boston! – Make UMass Tuition Free!- Full Funding for Boston Schools- Build Affordable Housing Now- Green New Deal- Medicare for All- Criminal Justice Reform.

HOW?  CUT THE PENTAGON

Almost 60% of annual US “Discretionary Spending” goes to wars and military spending.  The Trump tax cuts overwhelmingly favor the wealthy and Corporations while limiting potential spending that will benefit our communities.

Will your group cosponsor? Contact Dorchester People for Peace, info@dotpeace.org

Wednesday, April 15, 2020 Great Hall, Codman Square, Dorchester.

Download the flyer

9:00 am – 11:00 am (NY time)

Register at: bit.ly/abolishnuclear
In the context of the suffering and changes being wrought by the pandemic, the two- hour world conference will focus on the continuing urgent need to abolish nuclear weapons and its relationship to stanching the climate emergency and challenging injustices which have left so many people marginalized and vulnerable. Additional sessions of the World Conference and four workshops will be for a healthier time in the future.
To accommodate people across the world the conference will be held at 9-11 a.m. New York/Boston time (3-5 p.m. in Europe, 10 p.m.-12 a.m. in East Asia) with simultaneous interpretation. The conference will be held in concentric circles with up to 500 people in the conference itself with simultaneous live streaming so everyone can join by listening in. The conference will also be recorded and posted and made available on the world conference2020.org and co-sponsors sites for continuing availability.
Speakers include:
• Sharon Burrows (ITUC, Australia)
• Reiner Braun (IPB, Germany)
• Joseph Gerson (AFSC/CPDCS/IPB, USA)
• Emad Kiyaei (IDG Group, Iran)
• Hiroshi Takakusaki (Gensuikyo, Japan)
• Rev. Liz Theoharis (Poor People’s Campaign, USA)
• Dr. Carlos Umana (IPPNW, Costa Rica)
• Wada Masako (Japan Confederation of A- & H- Bomb Sufferers Organizations, Japan)Invitations pending to United Nations Office for Disarmament, the Sunrise Movement, and Marshall Islands
ONLINE WEBINAR – April 25th, 2020 @ 9-11 a.m. EDT
REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/abolishnuclear
For more information: see the facebook event; or write: JGerson80@gmail.com April 25, 2020

Vigil to protest federal tax dollars for war and environmental harm, U.S. Army Reserve, 5130 W. Silver Spring Dr. Sponsored by Milwaukee War Tax Resistance, Casa Maria Catholic Worker, & Peace Action of Wisconsin from noon to 1pm. For more info, contact Lincoln or Mikel, Casa Maria at usury_sucks@hotmail.com.

Peace Vigil in front of the Dane County courthouse in Madison (215 S Hamilton St.) from noon to 1pm. This was a collaboration with Madison’s Monday Peace Vigil, which has been hosting a weekly Monday Vigil for Peace for the last 38 years.

Leafleting in front of the Federal Building in Downtown Seattle, 915 2nd Ave, from 11:30am to 1pm. Sponsored by the Seattle Anti-War Coalition.

seattleantiwarcoalition.blogspot.com/ https://www.facebook.com/SeattleAntiWarCoalition/

WTR Information Tabling outside of the Brattleboro Food Coop, 2 Main Street, from 10am to 3pm. Sponsored by Pioneer Valley War Tax Resistance. For more info, contact Daniel Sicken at dhsicken@yahoo.com.

7:30-9am. Sign-holding on Portland bridges (Burma Shave Style). Met at E. Burnside and MLK Jr. Blvd. Sponsored by War Resisters League – Portland.

For more information, email: jgrueschow@comcast.net.

Taxes for Peace Not War, along with Community Alliance of Lane County, 350 Eugene, Oregon Women’s Action for New Directions, & Extinction Rebellion rallied at the old Federal Building at 211 East 7th Ave (location of IRS office). At 4pm they delivered a signed letter to the IRS. Then they marched to the new Federal building at 405 East 8th Avenue to deliver copies of the letter to federal representative Peter DeFazio and federal Senators, Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden. The event included signs, chants, songs, and speeches. People interested in signing the letter or needing more information can call Sue Barnhart at suebarnhart2@gmail.com.

Women Against War’s “Pathways to Peace Committee” met on the outside steps of the LOB in Albany at noon, standing in conjunction with fellow citizens around the world during the Global Days of Action on Military Spending to draw attention to the pressing need “to push governments to invest money in the sectors of health, education, employment and climate change rather than military”.

A press conference was held at 12:30 at the LOB, to denounce how the billions spent annually in the guise of defense rob government, including NYS, of the capacity to adequately support human needs.
Following the press conference, where Assemblyman Phil Steck was a speaker, protesters moved inside the Capitol to vigil and leaflet on the issue of our militarized budget outside the Assembly Chamber as members arrived.

You can read the full speech that was read by clicking here.
An article was also published on Times Union (here) and a radio interview to Maureen Aumand aired on The Focus on Albany Show (here).

International Conference Growing Nuclear Risks in a Changing world: New Thinking and Movement Building.

Initiated by American Friends Service Committee; Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security; International Peace Bureau; Peace Action (New York and New Jersey); Western States Legal foundation; Peace and Planet; Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung; International Trade Union Confederation. At Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square. Download the flyer here.

How the Pentagon Robs Our City! 7 to 9 pm. With Bill Hartung, Jan R. Weinberg and  Christine Lewis. Discussion on how the war economy drains NYC resources, and ways we can get active to turn it around, as well as two active campaigns: “Move the Money” & “Divest from the War Machine.” Then, working groups formed to plan actions. Location: Brooklyn Friends Meeting Hose, 110 Schermerhorn St, corner of Boerum Place.

Co-sponsors: Brooklyn For Peace, Peace & Social Action Committee of Brooklyn Friends (Quakers), Fort Greene Peace; Granny Peace Brigade; Park Slope United Methodist Church Social Action Committee; Pax Christie Metro New York (list in formation). A summary of the event and pictures on this link. For more info, please email bfp@brooklynpeace.org

Peace Action Bay Ridge Tax Day Action: MOVE THE MONEY! Every hour, taxpayers in the United States are paying $8.36 million for Total Cost of Wars Since 2001. Every hour, taxpayers in the United States are paying $2.19 million for nuclear weapons. This is unacceptable!

Distribution of flyers to the neighbors at Fort Hamilton Post Office, 89th St and 5th Avenue, Bay Ridge, from 9:30 to 11:00 am.

For more info: bayridgepeaceaction@yahoo.com; (917) 579-6860 or follow this link.

Protest Tax Dollars for War! Vigil and leafleting in front of the Internal Revenue Service at 290 Duane Street (at Broadway) in lower Manhattan. Protesting tax dollars being spent on U.S. wars and the military and supporting those who openly refuse payment for these wars but, instead, reroute their tax dollars from the IRS to groups promoting peace and supporting human needs. About 40 people showed up (despite ample wind and rain) to demand Congress slash the Pentagon budget.

Initiated by: NYC War Resisters League; Co-sponsors: Brooklyn For Peace; Bronx Peace Action; Code Pink NYC; Granny Peace Brigade and others.

Members of New Hampshire’s office of American Friends Service Committee met with staffers from U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan in Manchester, and with Congresswoman Anne McLane Kuster’s District Director in Concord.

Penny Poll and Distribution of WRL Piechart Budget 2020 at 4 South Central Clayton from noon to 1pm. Sponsored by Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom & Peace Economy Project. For more information, contact Chrissy Kirchhoefer at outreach@nwtrcc.org.

From 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm, the Walpole Peace and Justice Group held a tax day rally as part of the GDAMS, calling for a reduction in military spending and a redirection of those funds to human services. A 40 feet budget banner was displayed, showing where the Federal discretionary budget is spent today. The banner was comprised of colored cloth segments, each proportional in length to the budget category. The 2020 federal budget as proposed by the President transfers tens of billions of dollars from education, affordable housing, climate protection, medical care, hunger assistance, and social security directly to the military budget. The People’s Budget in Congress as a positive alternative. The vigil took place at the Walpole Common on the corner of Main and West Streets. For more info contact info@walpolepeace.org. Read an article on this action here.

Tax Day March & Rally at Uphams Corner in Dorchester at 4:30-8pm. Sponsored by Massachusetts Peace Action.

Speakers included Rep. Ayanna Pressley; State Senator Jamie Eldridge; Rev. Vernon Walker; Kevin Peterson (New  Democracy Coalition); Maryellen Kurkulos (Massachusetts Peace Action); Father Edwin Johnson f(St. Mary’s Episcopal Church); Michael Kane, Executive Director of National Alliance of HUD Tenants; Joseph Gerson from Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security.

‘A time to protest this war budget and stand up for a federal budget that reflects our true values. Already our Pentagon budget is 9 times larger than the Russian military budget. It makes up 60% of the entire discretionary budget. We are funding a trillion dollars nuclear weapons upgrade. But now the Republicans and some Democrats want to take away even more money from the rest of us to fund their wars and stuff the pockets of the military companies who fund their campaigns and give them big jobs when they retire. Such a budget guarantees that more Iraqs, Afghanistans, Libyas, Syrias and Yemens are on the way.

On this day we pay our taxes, we say No Way! It’s time to put our tax money into projects that make our country the kind of society we can be proud of.’

You can watch a video of the event here. For more information visit http://masspeaceaction.org/event/tax-day-2019-dorchester/

Let’s talk taxes! Over Pizza: Presentation, Conversation & Action at Abromson Community Education Center, Room 216 at 4:00pm. Free and open to the public, to reflect on federal budget and values. Sponsored by Peace Action Maine, with Devon Grayson-Wallace, former FCNL lobbyist and board member of Peace Action Maine. Flyer here. For more information visit the Facebook event here.

Leafleting outside the Brunswick Post Office from 11am to 1:00pm. Sponsored by PeaceWorks of Greater Brunswick (www.peaceworksbrunswickme.org/index.html)

Free Screening of “An Act of Conscience” at the Belfast Free Library (106 High St.) at 6:00pm. A post-film discussion was led by former NWTRCC Administrative Committee member Jason Rawn. Sponsored by Waldo County Peace & Justice (https://www.facebook.com/WaldoPeaceandJustice/).

“Tax Justice, Where Should our Taxes Go? Presidential Candidate Forum” at Northwest Community Center (5110 Franklin Ave). Catholic Peace Ministry, Iowa Citizens Action Network, Progress Iowa, Methodist Federation of Social Action, STAR*PAC, and WILPF Des Moines invited all presidential candidates to answer three questions, one focused on reducing military spending, one on climate crisis priorities and one on shifting the tax burden to the wealthy.

Rally at the Des Moines Federal Building – 210 Walnut at 1:30pm. A petition against taxes for war was delivered to Senators Ernst and Grassley. Petition to sign can be found here. Sponsored by Catholic Peace Ministry, Iowa Citizen Action Network, Iowa Peace Network,  Methodist Federation of Social Action, Progress Iowa, STAR*PAC and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

Vigil at Corner of Jefferson and Main – 204 S Main Street, from 4:30 to 5:30pm. Sponsored by Michiana Peace and Justice Coalition (http://www.michianapeacejustice.net/).

“Don’t Pay Any War Tax Demonstration.” At Federal Plaza on the Corner of Dearborn & Adams, 11:00am-1pm. Included a public act of Civil Disobedience. Sponsored by the War Resister League – Chicago Chapter. For more information, see www.wrlchicago.org.

Annual Tax Day Military Budget Demonstration at Rodney Square, Central Downtown Wilmington (1000 N Market Street). Met at the civic center piece from noon to 1pm. Sponsored by Pacem in Terris Delaware.

The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee had their National Conference under the theme “Divest the Pentagon – Invest in People”. The program included a report back from a recent Code Pink delegation to Iran, a workshop on Building a Peace Economy, an Introductory War Tax Resistance Workshop, and more. It took place at St. Stephen & the Incarnation Episcopal Church, 1525 Newton Street NW, Washington, DC. For more information, here’s a summary of the weekend.

11:45am-1pm. A penny-poll was hosted downtown at the southwest corner of Pikes Peak and Tejon Street.
For more information, contact Mary Sprunger-Froese at firststriketheatre@hotmail.com.

9:30am-2pm. Public Hearing by the People on the Immoral Budget & March to the Border. Event began at Casa Familiar Civic Center (212 W Park, San Ysidro, CA). This event was the last stop on the Emergency Truth & Poverty Tour. Sponsored by the California Poor People’s Campaign. For more information, see their Facebook event page.

3:00pm. Northern California People’s Life Fund gathered at the BFUU Fellowship Hall (1924 Cedar St., Berkeley—Near North Berkeley BART) and distributed $15,000 in redirected taxes to peace and justice organizations. The program included a potluck dinner and the Granting Ceremony. For more information see, www.nowartax.org or contact nowartax@riseup.net.

Two Billboards Outside Albany, New York. Just like the movie Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri challenged public officials to solve a murder, two new billboards outside Albany are challenging Washington to change the way it uses our valuable tax dollars. 3% of U.S. Military Spending Could End Starvation on Earth is the message on 2 Albany area billboards for the month of May – put up by Women Against War, who point out that ending the desperation of starving families could do much more for preserving peace than increasing the size of US forces, already “larger than the next 8 countries’ combined”. – https://blog.timesunion.com/wagingpeace/two-billboards-outside-albany-new-york/11141/ – Look at the photo here! – and read the article by Priscilla Fairbank on the Women Against War website with plenty of photos and selfies!

From noon to 2pm: Bangor Earth Day (Location TBA). Other Maine War Tax Resistance (WTR) actions will also take place around the state, read the whole document here.

International Peace Movement Conference: “No to NATO, 

No to war Network, Yes to Peace and Disarmament. Speakers include Reiner Braun, Anna Ochkina, Medea Benjamin and Peter Kuznick. At St. Stephen & the Incarnational Episcopal Church 1525 Newton St., N.W., Washington, DC.
See the agenda here and click on the image to download the full Flyer.

From 11am-3pm: both days at UMaine, Machias, Torrey Hall next to the library. Other Maine War Tax Resistance (WTR) actions will also take place around the state, read the whole document here.

Tuesday, April 17, 5 pm – 6:30 pm Tax Day Vigil at the Downtown Milwaukee Post Office, 345 W Saint Paul Ave, 53203. For more information email or call Lincoln Rice – (414) 342-1911 – contact Milwaukee War Tax Resistance & Casa Maria Catholic Worker: mailto:lincoln.rice@outlook.com

Leafleting at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Ohio: Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action (gzcenter.org). Yes, we are the folks who have been resisting Trident for over 40 years; our “Center” is next door to the largest deployed concentration of nuclear weapons in the US. This year we are focusing our attention on, among other things, military/nuclear weapons spending. We will be supporting GDAMS next week (on April 17th) in our monthly leafleting at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, home of eight of the U.S. Navy’s OHIO Class “Trident” ballistic missile submarines as well as the Strategic [nuclear] Weapons Facility, Pacific. We are currently preparing a leaflet targeted at people (civilian and military) who work on the base. Our leafleteers will be out in the early morning hours at one or both entrance gates offering the leaflet to people entering the base for the day shift.

Tax Day Action in Seattle, WA: At the Federal Building (915 – 2nd Ave), Seattle, from 11am – 1pm – Organized by Veterans For Peace, Chapter 92. Look here at the photo!

Documentary in Lynchburg, Virginia: Tuesday, April 17, 7 p.m.–10 p.m. Screening The Pacifist, a feature-length documentary film about Larry Bassett and his massive war tax resistance journey. The film follows his personal progress, reasons and decisions about refusing to pay for war, but the greater themes and messages of the war tax resister movement are front and center. On that day, Larry’s tax resistance total will come to almost $200,000. At Riverviews Artspace. Free and followed by a Q&A with Mr. Bassett and the film’s producer/director, Alex Zhort. For more info see the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/613236299012605/

Tuesday, April 17, 10 am – 3 pm. War tax resistance literature and counseling, plus music appropriate for these times. Outside the Brattleboro Food Coop, 2 Main Street. – Contact Pioneer Valley War Tax Resistance or call (802) 387-2798: mailto:dhsicken@yahoo.com

Vote for spending priorities at Knoxville, Tennessee: Tuesday, April 17, 11:45 a.m.–1 p.m.. Meet at Market Square where Uncle Sam will be asking passers-by to take their tax dollars and “vote” for their spending priorities by placing them in the train car—education, environment, health care—that they want to fund. Sadly, their tax monies will be swept up by “Senator Alexander” and used to fuel his UPF BOMB PLANT EXPRESS. At 12:45 we will depart Market Square, taking the whole train over to Alexander’s office to ask for answers to a simple question: why are you spending our tax dollars on a bomb plant when we need raises for teachers, housing for the homeless, affordable health insurance for hundreds of thousands of uninsured Tennesseans, protections for the environment…???? – Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance (http://orepa.org/where-are-your-tax-dollars-going/ ) or see the Facebook event (https://www.facebook.com/events/1681078868620754/ ). More information: https://nwtrcc.org/programs-events/tax-day/tax-day-actions/

Tuesday, April 17, all day, various locations. Help Distribute “Where Your Income Tax Money Really Goes” flyers from the War Resisters League at local post offices. Call LEPOCO (610-691-8730) to choose your location & time. This is important! – Lepoco Peace Center:
http://www.lepoco.org/event/help-distribute-where-your-income-tax-money-really-goes-flyers-from-the-war-resisters-league-at-local-post-offices/?instance_id=6475

Tax Day Demonstration — Granny Peace Brigade Philadelphia: Tuesday, April 17, 11 am – 1 pm. Join the Granny Peace Brigade and WILPF at the Broad and Sansom Street Post Office, Center City. We will be polling passersby regarding how to spend our tax money. GPBP sends the poll results to local leaders. Don’t miss the photo opportunity with our own Uncle Sam!!!! Cosponsored by Brandywine Peace Community: https://www.grannypeacebrigadephiladelphia.org/upcoming-events.html

Tuesday, April 17, Noon–1 p.m. Vigil and leafleting outside the IRS office, 290 Broadway at Duane Street, across from the Federal Building. War tax redirections may be announced. Sponsored by NYC War Resisters League (http://nycwarresisters.org/demonstrations/), Granny Peace Brigade (list in formation). Click “going” on the Facebook event page (https://www.facebook.com/events/1701742596586262/) or for more info call (718) 768-7306. – Download the photo collage in a pdf document!

Tuesday, April 17, Noon–1 p.m. Cut War Spending — Fund Human Needs. Vigil and flyering during lunch hour with Tin Horn Uprising marching band in front of Congressman Faso’s office, 721 Broadway, Kingston (next to Broadway Lights Diner). Sponsoring organization: Rise Up Hudson Valley. Email Rise Up for more info: mailto:riseuphv@gmail.com

From 11am to 2pm, action at Main St., Ellsworth. Other Maine War Tax Resistance (WTR) actions will also take place around the state, read the whole document here.

From 11am-1pm: both days at UMaine, Machias, Torrey Hall next to the library. Other Maine War Tax Resistance (WTR) actions will also take place around the state, read the whole document here.

From 11am-2pm: UMaine, Orono, student union. Other Maine War Tax Resistance (WTR) actions will also take place around the state, read the whole document here.

Bowdoin College TBA. Other Maine War Tax Resistance (WTR) actions will also take place around the state, read the whole document here.

From 11am-1pm: Brunswick PO sponsored by PeaceWorks. Other Maine War Tax Resistance (WTR) actions will also take place around the state, read the whole document here.

From 11am-1pm: Unity College student union lobby. Other Maine War Tax Resistance (WTR) actions will also take place around the state, read the whole document here.

From 10am-2pm: UMaine, Farmington, student union. Other Maine War Tax Resistance (WTR) actions will also take place around the state, read the whole document here.

From  8am-5pm: Table, noon-1p Downeast band Fire in the Commons and speakers, Lobsterman Park in front of the Nickelodeon Movie Theatre (rain location Portland Media Center, 516 Congress St), Portland. Other Maine War Tax Resistance (WTR) actions will also take place around the state, read the whole document here.

From 11am-1pm: Damariscotta post office (PO). Other Maine War Tax Resistance (WTR) actions will also take place around the state, read the whole document here.

Tuesday, April 17. Leafleting with the “where your income tax really goes” pie chart on a busy corner. To check time and exact location contact Pax Christi New Orleans, (504) 522-3751.

Bake Sale in San Diego, California: At Noon–2 p.m.: “A Bake Sale for the Air Force?” Hosted by the Peace Resource Center of San Diego envisioning a time when “schools have all the money they need and the air force needs to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber or the Border Patrol a border wall. No time like the present to make this a reality! Join us as we sell baked goods (no money raised will actually be given to the Air Force or to Trump’s wall) and show people just what their federal taxes are buying!! Meet us on the sidewalk outside the Internal Revenue Service, 880 Front Street in San Diego, 92101. More information: https://nwtrcc.org/programs-events/tax-day/tax-day-actions/

Tuesday, April 17, 7 a.m.–8 a.m., Tax Day vigil at Raytheon Missile Systems, Hermans Road entrance to the plant (3rd traffic light south of Valencia on Nogales Highway, the extension of South 6th Avenue). Join the Raytheon Peacemakers as we demonstrate against war and those who profit from it. Survival demands better ideas, not better weapons. Park off Nogales Highway, between railroad tracks and highway at the Hermans Road entrance. Signs provided, or bring your own! -Contact Nuclear Resister (mailto:nukeresister@igc.org) or (520) 323-8697 — Contact No. Calif. War Tax Resistance/People’s Life Fund (http://nowar.tax/ ), (510) 842-6124, Email for info: mailto:nowartax@riseup.net

Monday, April 16, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Vigil to catch folks leaving work outside the Federal Building in downtown South Bend. — Contact Michiana War Tax Refusers: mailto:psmith@saintmarys.edu

Monday, April 16, 11 am – 1 pm, Pay No War Tax Demonstration with speakers and leafleting at Federal Plaza, Dearborn + Adams Streets. in downtown Chicago. Participate in the “penny” poll using “democracy dollars” to show where you want your money to go. For more information contact:
Charles Paidock, mailto:cpaidock@hotmail.com (312) 714-7790 or Brad Lyttle, (773) 324-0654, mailto:blyttle@igc.org – Organized by War Resisters League, Chicago Chapter: http://www.wrlchicago.org/

Monday, April 16, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.: Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom & Tucson Raging Grannies will be handing out War Resisters League “Where Your Tax Money Really Goes” Pie charts in front of the Wilmot Library. We and we will be talking to folks as they come and go from the library, and the Raging Grannies plan on singing a few songs at noon. Murphy-Wilmot Library, 530 N Wilmot Rd., 85711. You are invited to come for all or part of the time. Bring friends who may be interested. Email for more info: debdivya@gmail.com

Sunday, April 15, 1-3 pm. Rally and tabling at EWEB then march to the old Federal Building then on to the new Federal Building and then loop back to EWEB. Speakers, music, Spanish and sign language interpreters, penny poll, and a “bar graph” along the march route showing folks how much of their tax dollars goes to military versus education, environment, etc. Stops along the route will mark points on the graph — showing how far you walk to fund people & planet vs. military. Music and speeches and giving away resisted tax money at the end.  Sponsors include Eugene Taxes for Peace!, Community Alliance of Lane County,Indivisible Eugene, and more. See the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/2082321322004308 – Contact Taxes for Peace!: mailto:suebarnhart2@gmail.com

Tuesday, April 17. Leaflets will be passed out downtown. Contact Jim Stockwell for information: (828) 675-5448

Sunday, April 15, 2 p.m. “End the Wars at Home and Abroad!” Planning is underway for this rally and march as part of the Spring 2018 Actions (http://springaction2018.org/), endorsed and being planned by many groups around the country. in NYC, meet at Herald Square at 2 followed by a march to Trump Tower. More info: Springactions@gmail.com or call (518) 281-1968

Rally and March in Minneapolis, Minnesota: At 1:30 p.m. “A Call to End Endless U.S. Wars” rally and march initiated by Minnesota Peace Action Coalition with many co-sponsors including Minnesota War Tax Resisters. Meet at Lagoon and Hennepin in Minneapolis at 1:30; march steps off at 2 p.m. See paying4peace on Facebook; for more info see the Facebook event (https://www.facebook.com/events/162639774457324 ) and visit: https://nwtrcc.org/programs-events/tax-day/tax-day-actions/

Sunday, April 15, 6 pm — People’s Life Fund public potluck and awards ceremony at the BFUU Fellowship Hall: 1924 Cedar St. Berkeley CA. (Near North Berkeley BART). The People’s Life Fund is looking forward to redirecting a record breaking $65,000 in resisted war taxes to local peace and justice organizations this year! The evening is always a joyous and inspiring evening, and you are encouraged to come out! See the group’s Facebook page for updates and more information: https://www.facebook.com/PeoplesLifeFund

The Maine War Tax Resistance (WTR) Resource Center has begun its annual war tax day actions around the state.  If you are interested in volunteering with the Maine WTR Resource Center and/or the Youth & Militarism Project or would like a presentation on peace jobs for youth at your school, please call 558-5758. Please stop by the actions.  We will have lots of information on war tax resistance and the Youth & Militarism Project. For more information, go to http://mainewtr.nwtrcc.orgDownload the photo collage document!

Actions in College of the Atlantic; Ellsworth, ME; Norway coop, USM, Lewiston; Augusta. Other Maine War Tax Resistance (WTR) actions will also take place around the state, read the whole document here.

Bridge Action in Austin, Texas: Sunday, April 14, 4–5:30 p.m.. “Bridge Action”: I’d Rather Buy ______ than War!. By Austin Conscientious Objectors to Military Taxation. We will invite passersby to tell us what they’d rather buy than war. On the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge over Lady Bird Lake, downtown just east of the Lamar Bridge, Austin. For more info: Susan Van Haitsma, (512) 467-2946 jeffjweb@sbcglobal.net

Annual “Burma Shave” style signs on the bridges demanding no taxes for war. Saturday, April 14, 11 am.  Meet at the east end of the Burnside Bridge and MLK Blvd. Contact Kima at (503) 249-6343 or John Greushow. More information: https://nwtrcc.org/programs-events/tax-day/tax-day-actions/ – Sponsored by War Resisters League of Portland/Oregon Community of War Tax Resisters, Email or phone (503) 249-6343: mailto:Kimasuegarrison@gmail.com.

Local groups plan Tax Day Rally and Speak-out on Federal budget: With taxes due on Tuesday, April 17, rallies are being held around the country highlighting the need to “starve the Pentagon and feed the people.” In Franklin County, people will gather on the Greenfield Common on Saturday, April 14, from 12 to 1:30 p.m. The public event will feature a ‘speak-out’ on the budget from people and organizations working on the many issues affected by current budget priorities – and cuts. “The focus will be on what is needed for real security, at home and abroad, including the need to take urgent action on climate issues” said Anna Gyorgy, active with the Traprock Center for Peace & Justice and FCCPR. The call for the Tax Day Rally and Speak-out remembers the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one year before his assassination: “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.” Local groups are responding to the recent tax overhaul bill that benefits the most wealthy, and the FY 2019 federal budget with its record-setting $700+ billion allocation for the military. Organizations that depend on ever-shrinking federal resources are condemning budget priorities that make life even harder for many. – Poster on the web: http://fccpr.us – On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/439652343140034/ – P.O. Box 216 • Greenfield MA 01302 413.624.6557 • info@fccpr.us – For more information, contact: ferdwulkan@gmail.com (413-627-5268)

On Saturday, April 14, 2018, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., the Walpole Peace and Justice Group will hold a Tax Day Rally at the Gazebo on the Walpole Common, asking for Peace and Economic Justice. Rally speakers will address the destructive consequences of exorbitant military spending at the expense of human needs. Our keynote speaker will be Savina Martin, Eastern Chair of the Massachusetts Poor People’s Campaign. A 40-foot budget banner will be displayed, showing where the Federal discretionary budget is spent today. Our keynote speaker and representatives from local organizations will speak at 10:30 a.m. This rally is open to the public. We will be urging our elected leaders to:

– Address the widening gap between rich and poor
– Promote adequate funding for vital human services in the Federal Budget
– Stop the massive increases to the Pentagon Budget
– Halt and reverse the $1.7 trillion nuclear weapons upgrade funding, including “more usable” nuclear weapons
– Revent U.S. wars against Iran, North Korea, China and other nations
– Support immigrant rights and human rights for all
– Oppose the increasing militarization of our borders and law enforcement

The World Is Over-Armed and Peace Is Under-Funded!

Our Rally will support the Global Campaign on Military Spending. The aim of the campaign is to push governments to invest money in the sectors of health, education, employment and climate change rather than military. The Poor People’s Campaign is a National Call for Moral Revival challenging our country on the evils of systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, and ecological devastation. The Campaign will start on Mother’s Day and continue for six weeks of direct action and nonviolent civil disobedience.

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group, founded in 1981, is a group of citizens committed to promoting peace and justice in the community and the larger world through education, study, witness, advocacy, and action. For more information contact info@walpolepeace.org

Boston event on Cambridge Common Saturday, April 14, Noon – 2:30 pm — Cambridge Common, Garden St and Massachusetts Ave. President Trump’s tax bill is ensuring billions of dollars in profits to large corporations and peanuts to working people. His Pentagon spending will lead to more wars, kill a lot of people, and make us less safe. Cuts in essential programs from Climate protection to Medicaid, Housing, Social Security and Medicare are in the offing. We must turn around Washington’s budget insanity. Join us on Tax Day to call attention to these dangers while promoting our budget priorities to fund the programs we all need. At AFSC, contact Paul Shannon (mailto:PShannon@afsc.org)- New England War Tax Resistance will have a table, penny poll, and announce grants from resisted taxes alternative fund. Contact NEWTR (mailto:cs4202144@yahoo.com) to participate with them. – — Sponsored by Massachusetts People’s Budget Campaign (https://www.facebook.com/events/570148549988772/), Veterans For Peace – Boston, Smedley D. Butler Brigade, Massachusetts Peace Action (http://masspeaceaction.org/event/tax-day-rally/), American Friends Service Committee (click on the graphic and do wnload the outreach flyer 4 pp).  Also, at this #TaxDay2018 rally in Cambridge, Joseph Gerson of AFSC Peace and Economic Security Program exposed hypocrisy underlying justifications of the US attack on Syria Friday evening. Watch the video!:https://www.facebook.com/masspeaceaction/videos/10155195750185723/

From 11am-3pm: Blue Hill coop. Other Maine War Tax Resistance (WTR) actions will also take place around the state, read the whole document here.

From 11am-1pm: Damariscotta post office (PO). Other Maine War Tax Resistance (WTR) actions will also take place around the state, read the whole document here.

WTR table and workshop on Organizing Against Militarism in your Community at Resources for Organizing Social Change’s Youth Activism Gathering, Pine Tree Camp, Rome, ME. Other Maine War Tax Resistance (WTR) actions will also take place around the state, read the whole document here.

at Bethel post office (to be determined). Other Maine War Tax Resistance (WTR) actions will also take place around the state, read the whole document here.

Rally & Teach-In inGreenwich, Connecticut: The Greenwich Rally & Teach-In for Peace and Economic Justice will be held Saturday, April 14, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Greenwich Common, 290 Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich, Connecticut.  “Stop the Wars, Invest in Peace” is the theme, and in this community that is home to 10 multi-billionaires, our 12 speakers will address ways in which war overseas and violence by police in the U.S. undergird the capture and exploitation of material and human resources.  Medea Benjamin, human rights activist, author and Co-Director of CODEPINK, will speak about moving money out of the war industry and into peaceful, regenerative work. Please join us!!! – For more information see: https://business.facebook.com/GreenwichRally/?ref=py_c
You may also call Nick Mottern (914) 806-6179

April 13-16, midday. Flyering on the downtown mall. Look for Gary Erb leafleting with war tax resistance materials. Rocky Mountain Peace & Justice Center, (303) 499-9456 or Email: mailto:gary.erb@colorado.edu

22th of April, 2017
11am to 2pm, Earth Day Celebration

22th of April, 2017
Noam Chomsky
Prospects for Democracy and Survival
Cambridge, Ma. Friends Meeting
For more information contact JGerson@afsc.org or 617-661-6130

Find out more…

18th April 2017 from 12 noon to 1pm.

Tax Day Vigil and Demonstration

At the Wilmington, Delaware Post Office, 500 Delaware Ave., Wilmington, DE 19801
Promoted by MoveOn.org

18th April 2017 from 5 to 6pm.
Where is Your Money Going? Day of Action on Military Spending

Lottie and Grand Avenue in Bellingham, WA.

Event hosted by the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center and Veterans for Peace Chapter 111.

Read more on the action and watch the video!

18th April 2017
Tax Day Rally on Tuesday, April 18 from 8:30 AM till 12 noon at the Fort Hamilton Post Office, 88th St. & 5th Ave., Bay Ridge Brooklyn, NY
Organized by Peace Action Bay Ridge
Find out more…

18th April 2017
Noon
IRS office
290 Broadway at Duane Street, NYC
Organized by Grannies for Peace and the War Resisters League
Contact Nydia Leaf nyleaf13@gmail.com or Ruth Benn rbenn@eclipsewar.net

18th April 2017
11:30am-1:30pm
Federal Building-915 2nd Ave, Seattle, Washington
Sponsor:  Veterans For Peace

Find out more…

Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Public participatory readings at 12 noon, 2 pm and 4 pm
Federal Building, 585 14th Street, Oakland, CA

Link to photos from the event. Look at them!

April 2017 is the 50th anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence”. In it, Dr. King confronted the deeply rooted racism, militarism and materialism in the U.S., describing our government as the greatest purveyor of violence in the world. Fifty years later his analysis and call to action is as relevant now as it was then.

Sponsored by the National Council of Elders and Western States Legal Foundation, and Co-sponsored by Ecumenical Peace Institute/CALC, Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center, Nafsi Ya Jamii, Physicians for Social Responsibility (SF-Bay Area Chapter), Tri-Valley CAREs, Women for Genuine Security, West County Toxics Coalition, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, East Bay Branch and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, San Francisco Branch.

18th April, 2017
Portland – Monument Square: April 18, 8am-5:30pm, Gathering with numerous organizations begins at noon. Organized by Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center, PeaceWorks and PeaceAction
Damariscotta Post Office: April 17 and 18, 11pm-4pm. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center
UMaine, Machias: April 18, 11am-2pm. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center
UMaine, Orono, Memorial Union: April 18, 11am-2pm. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center

UMaine, Farmington, Student Center: April 18, 10am-2pm, sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center

17th April, 2017

6:30 am – 8:00 am PDT
Members and friends of the Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center distributed flyers at all of the Contra Costa County BART stations.
55 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek, State

17th April, 2017

11 am
Join our Pat-RIOT’s day march, April 17th at 11am at Bridge St School.
We will Meet-up at 11:00am. Speak Up and Sing Out in front of First Churches (129 Main Street). 12:00 noon is the Anti-war Peace “Riot”.
Organized by the American Friends Service Committee, Western Massachusetts Program.

Find out more…

17th April, 2017
Brunswick Post Office: April 17, organized by PeaceWorks
Damariscotta Post Office: April 17 and 18, 11pm-4pm, sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center

Sunday, April 16, 2017
At 2:30 PM
Beach north of the Santa Monica Pier, Site of the Veterans for Peace Project called “Arlington West” – a cemetery on the sand.

Read more…

You will see a sea of white crosses just to the right (north) of the pier, in the sand,  with several tables and exhibits set up by Veterans for Peace detailing the costs of war.  Our group, the Southern California War Tax Resistance, will have our own table there, with full support of VFP.

We will gather at 2:30 PM and at 3 PM  will host a public event of war tax redistribution to give out checks of resisted war taxes to local groups supporting peace and justice.  We’ll have lots of information on where your taxes are going now, and ideas on where you might rather spend them.

For more information, reply by email to cathydeppela@gmail.com or call Cathy at 408-206-7992. – And information on War Tax resistance:  www.scwtr.net

Saturday, April 15th at 1pm
Cambridge Common, Ma.

About 3,000 people attended the demo and Tax Rally in Cambridge Common, emceed by State Representative Mike Connollly.
Link to the pictures flickr stream. Look at them!

With speech from Joseph Gerson. Read it!

Find out more…

15th April 2017
Cleveland Tax March for People Peace and Planet

Soaked marchers deal with rain and wind as the walk south on East 9th Street during the tax-day protest in downtown Cleveland on April 15th, 2017

Find out more…

Look more in Facebook…

15th April, 2017
Bangor: April 15, 2am to 4pm. Resist War Action, Federal Building in Bangor, Me. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center
Belfast Food Coop: April 15, 11am to 5pm (may continue longer). Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center
Bethel Post Office: April 15, 10am to 12:30pm, Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center
Blue Hill Food Coop: April 15, Noon-2pm. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center
Rome – Youth Activism Gathering: April 15, Weekend. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center

Saturday, April 15th, 2017
Noon at the Federal Building in Duluth. MN, USA
Theme: Local Needs Matter.
Sponsored by Veterans for Peace, Chapter 80, and Grandmothers for Peace Twin Ports

Saturday April 15th, 2017 10:00 am, Walpole Common

Over 30 people gathered on the Walpole Common on Saturday, April 15, 2017, at a peace vigil standing in solidarity with the Global Campaign on Military Spending and the Tax Day 2017 Mobilization, calling for a reduction in military spending and a redirection of those funds to human services.  Sponsored by the Walpole Peace and Justice Group, a 40 foot banner was held showing where the Federal discretionary budget is spent today based on the 2017 budget.  The banner consisted of colored panels, each representing a budget category like military spending and education, with a length proportional to the size of each budget. The U.S. military spending is more than 50% of the Federal discretionary budget. It equals the combined military spending of the next eight countries, including China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United Kingdom, and India. The vigil was also calling for President Trump to release his tax returns and  was opposing his proposed 2018 budget cuts to human services like housing, senior programs, the National Endowment of the Arts, and the EPA.

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group  hold a Rally  on April 15, joining with the Global Campaign on Military Spending and the Tax Day 2017 Mobilization in calling for our federal government to redirect military spending to fund human needs and to stop military interventions. We call for:
– President Trump to release his tax returns
– Stopping the new “big, big” tax cuts for corporations and the 1%
– Opposing President Trump’s “Death Budget” released on March 16
– Re-directing money from the Pentagon to families and climate protection
– Supporting the Peoples Budget in Congress

The Pentagon’s budget equals the combined total of the next eight largest  military spenders, including China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United Kingdom, and India!   We will have a 40 foot budget banner that shows where the Federal discretionary budget is spent today. We will also have a couple of brief speeches  and will pass out an informational  leaflet urging people to call our U.S. Senators and Representatives. We may also have some drummers!

4 to 11th April, 2017
UMaine, Orono, Hope Fest: April 8, 11am-3pm, Includes workshop on WTR. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center
Waterville Castonguay Square: April 8, Noon-5pm. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center
UMaine, Machias: April 4 and April 11, 11am-2pm. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center

April 4th, 2017

Talking Peace with the WNY Peace Center – Special Rev Dr King edition
When: 10am-6pm Tuesday, April 4th
Where: 91.3FM WBNY, livestreaming at wbny  and/or tunein.com

March 31st, 2017
Bar Harbor College of the Atlantic Cafeteria
At breakfast and lunch. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center

“GDAMS U.S / Tax Day 2016”
We are writing to encourage you to join activists across the U.S. and internationally
in this year’s GDAMS activities. The Pentagon has inflated its budget request to
nearly $600 billion, including $58.8 billion for its “overseas contingency
operations” – wars – and to quadruple spending for war preparations in Eastern
Europe. In the coming years, our government is planning to spend
$1,000,000,000,000 to modernize its nuclear arsenal and its delivery systems, a
small fraction of which could bring on nuclear winter. The new F-35
fighter/bombers are set to cost $1,500,000,000,000 over their “lifetime.” In
addition to encouraging and fueling the catastrophic destruction of wars, this
spending claims and truncates lives without a shot being fired, a bomb dropped or a
missile launched.
Contact person: Joseph Gerson or mbass@afsc.org
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)

“GDAMS Event & US Tax Day 2016”
We will be leafletting in downtown Seattle at Westlake Park (4th and Pike) from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. David Swanson, internationally know author, peace advocate and activist, will be with us as spokesperson. He is in town for speaking engagement that evening at Town Hall.
Contact person: Dan Gilman
Phone number: 206 499 0226
Organization: Veterans For Peace, #92 and Facebook page Here.

“#MakeGEpay – Protest Corporate Tax Breaks – Rally Outside Welcome Party for GE Execs”
Time: 03.30 p.m – 06.00 p.m
What: Rally Outside Welcome Party for GE Execs Hosted by Gov Baker & Mayor Walsh
Where: 60 State Street, Boston, MA (near Boston City Hall and State Street Stop on the Orange Line)
Who: Coalition of Boston area social justice groups and leaders
Contact person: Cole Harrison ; info@masspeaceaction.org
Phone number: 617-354-2169
Organization: Budget for All Campaign & Massachusetts Peace Action
Facebook Page
Twitter: Here and Here

Frank Donnelly of the NWTRCC passed out over 150 of these Maine fliers at the local post office.

NWTRCC members displayed a banner and passed out leaflets at the downtown post office; the Colorado Springs Gazette ran a photo of the demonstrators on April 16th.

About a dozen people, mostly from Veterans for Peace, at the downtown post office passing War Resisters League Flyers, covered by Channel 13 Fox News.

Youth working with the American Friends Service Committee created a public action in Washington, DC after making 14 different visits on Capitol Hill to deliver the SIPRI report.  The youth wore shirts color-coded to represent the current discretionary budget distribution, with ~60% of the youth in red shirts denoting military spending.  With their backs to passersby, the shirts spelled out MILITARY BUDGET ≠ SECURITY.  Then they turned to face the crowd and the message changed to reveal the things that they think DO equal security:  peace, equality, unity, justice, etc.

Pioneer Valley War Tax Resisters played live music while passing out information on refusing war taxes in front of the Brattleboro Food Coop.

CodePink and North Texas Veterans for Peace demonstrated after dark using a light display, which read “Pentagon Waste ≠ Security”. They were accosted by a police officer who bullied them to leave and even attempted to physically take the light displays until a postal inspector appeared and calmly explained that they were legally allows to demonstrate in front of the post office.

Veterans For Peace members in Dallas, Texas were threatened with arrest this week during their ‪Tax Day‬ actions for GDAMS.
They were quickly confronted by 5 postal police officers and 3 Dallas squad cars while calling for better budget priorities at the main post office center. See more photos.

AFSC marched to several locations in Providence on wage theft and minimum wage increase, while also making a few stops to discuss tax day and military spending.

AFSC and several other groups held a Tax Day Penny Poll outside of a post office in a busy pedestrian neighborhood which over 300 people participated in, many of whom they engaged in conversation about Pentagon spending and where else they would like to see that money going. The polling results for what they believed needed more funding were as follows:
Education: 110
Health Care: 75
Food: 58
Transit: 56
Housing: 52
Veterans: 30
Military: 15

Paul Sheldon of the NWTRCC handed out pie charts denoting the federal budget allocation to military spending in front of the post office.

riends in Portland had their annual Redirection program ‘re-route’ thousands of dollars to five different groups including St. Luke’s Veteran’s Bridge Fund, which helps returning vets get on their feet financially (“something the federal government fails to do)”.

Lane County Taxes for Peace not War, Community Alliance of Lane County, Women’s Action for New Directions and Eugene-Springfield Solidarity Network gathered at the downtown post office to hold a Penny Poll and pass out signs proclaiming “I’d rather pay for ___________ than war”, which participants could fill in and take home or use for demonstration. Raging Grannies followed with a rally in which they redirected taxes in the form of personal checks to about 25 groups, one of which was the Wellspring Friends School, from which a student performed a song about homelessness.

About 20 people from War Resisters League, Raging Grannies, Mennonites and Peace Action gathered with banners, charts and signs in front of the stealthy new IRS location near City Hall in Manhattan and demonstrated for a long line of people awaiting entry to the building.

The Coalition for Peace Action conducted a Penny Poll in front of the post office. The results are as follows:
Education –  28%
Health Care  –  26%
Environment – 21%
Housing  – 9%
Military – 16%

During rush hour, about 20 members from Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War gathered on South Westnedge Avenue in Portage for a ‪Tax Day‬ peace vigil, calling for the government to invest the federal budget in human needs rather than war. Read more about it in the local news.

Peace activists including AFSC gathered in front  of the Iowa City post office and demonstrated for the reallocation of income tax revenue away from military spending and into other areas such as education, housing or mental health.

Jerry Coffin of the NWTRCC as part of his 70th birthday celebration passed out leaflets of the WRL pie charts, as well as leaving them alongside the war tax forms in post offices and libraries throughout the area.

CODEPINK and the New Priorities Campaign Coalition at St. Mary’s Peace Pole – St. Mary’s College, Moraga, California.

Over 110 volunteers from 37 different organizations distributed  around 15,000 SIPRI brochures at 32 subway stations in five neighborhoods. CODEPINK and New Priorities Campaign Coalition leafletting at the light rail station in Walnut Creek.

CodePink Austin reprised their Human Penny Poll in the entertainment district, dressing in costumes representing five of the government spending categories and performing a street theatre scene in which the categories clamored for more funding. Participants voted for the categories they felt needed more funding while engaging in spirited conversation about the current budgetary setup and how or why its so contrary to public wishes.

As part of the Bay Area New Priorities Working Group, American Friends Service Committee, SF Friends Meeting, and The Vigil volunteers distributed 800 Global Day Against Militarism brochures Wednesday morning at Glen Park BART Station. A bit nippy with many hands in pockets, they were generally met with some smiles and many takers at the “Happy Tax Day” greetings. Learn more about the AFSC’s San Francisco Wage Peace program launched.

CODEPINK and New Priorities Campaign Coalition in front of Senator Feinsteins office, Downtown San Francisco.

A small group of activists, including members of Veterans for Peace and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom vigiled outside of the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base with signs expressing the need for funds to meet human needs, not drones and nuclear weapons.

On Tax Day, April 15, 2014, members of CODEPINK Greater Dallas greeted taxpayers as they delivered their mail to the United States Post Office in Frisco, Texas, passing out flyers with pie-charts explaining how their tax dollars are spent and providing the toll-free number to call Congress and voice their opinions.

View here the pictures.

See below the initial pictures of  Human Penny Poll organized by Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) in Austin.

Watch below the video where  people take part in a human penny poll and express their views about military spending, responding to the question: “Where would you like your tax dollars to go?”

https://vimeo.com/92338505

Tax Day Action 2014: Where Do You Want Your Tax Dollars To Go? from ZGraphix.
A total of 55 individuals participate in the poll, providing their opinion with 550 pennies. Here’s how the people of Austin want their tax dollars spent:  Education – 208 (37.8%), Environment – 116 (21.1%), Housing/Transportation/Infrastructure – 113 (20.6%), Healthcare – 104 (18.9%), War – 9 (1.6%).

East Bay marks Global Day of Action on Military Spending

The New Priorities Campaign in the East Bay in CA (Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, etc.)- in which USLAW participated – has organized the Global Day of Action on Military Spending for the last four years by distributing a brochure on excessive U.S. military spending at BART (rapid transit light rail) stations in both the East Bay and San Francisco.

NPC asked organizations to adopt a station.  Each year the number of stations covered and number of brochures distributed increased.  This year two dozen organizations distributed 15,000 pieces of literature (up from 10,000 in 2013) at 34 BART stations. The campaign held a press conference in front of the Oakland Federal Building in the late morning following the distribution.

Speakers at the press conference included Michael Eisenscher, USLAW National Coordinator, Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, Reverend Daniel Buford, Reverend Deborah Lee speaking for Women for Genuine Security, Jackie Cabasso, Exec. Dir. of the Western States Legal Foundation and Coordinator of Mayors for Peace, Dr. Henry Clark from the West Contra Cost County Toxics Coalition, and Jonathan Gast, who presented a statement on behalf of Cong. Barbara Lee.  Proclamations were received from mayors of Oakland, Richmond and the City Council of San Pablo.  Sandra Schwartz of AFSC moderated.  Carolyn Scarr introduced the Living Graveyard Vigil, which immediately followed the press conference.

Click on the images below to view the Bay Area GDAMS leaflets.

The statement read by Michael Eisenscher on behalf of USLAW : USLAW GDAMS 2014 Statement

View here for more pictures of the event.

Four of the youth from the American Friends Service Committee PA Program (AFSC) went to Washington DC to be part of the “If I Had a Trillion Dollars (IHTD)” film festival. Youth groups around the country submit three minute video’s on how they would spend the trillion dollars that have been spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Youth groups who submitted the winning videos had the opportunity to go to DC to be part of the festival, to lobby their legislators on their concerns and be part of the final action. Over the years four years of the IHTD festival over 800 videos have been submitted.  This year 71 youth went to DC to be part of the festival.

 The video the Pittsburgh youth submitted was called “The Trillion Dollar Tree” and focused on education, the environment and youth empowerment which were the issues they raised with Senator Casey and Toomey’s aides. Watch here : http://www.afsc.org/video/trillion-dollar-tree.

On the Monday before tax day they all congregated at Farragut Square and the youth laid out seven fighter jets they had made and decorated out of foam board. In the background were signs reading “Move the Money” and as everyone shouted for the money to be moved the youth rushed in and converted the fighter jets to buildings. The buildings represented the things they would spend the money on such as schools, garden, hospitals, etc.

Boston Tax Day Rally on April 12, 2014 in front of Bank of America on Boylston St.

April 12 protest at the “christening” of new stealth destroyer in Bath, Maine. https://youtu.be/5jGy_i3kS1A

For details check full report.

http://peaceblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/28/2014-global-day-of-action-on-military-spending-move-the-money/

Mary Regan with New England War Tax Resistance says, “I was going to a tax day event April 16 (tax day in Massachusetts) and was to announce the grants from our refused taxes. It was a protest to spotlight the need for our economy to turn from war to human needs.

“But because of the terrible events of Monday in Boston, the event has been canceled. People are hunkering down to be with family, but I wish we were still protesting, because we need to show that violence should be met with love.”

How would you spend our nation’s discretionary funds for a year — a total of $1.242 trillion? On April 15, 2013, people in six different neighborhoods of Seattle (Wedgwood, West Seattle, downtown, Greenwood, Columbia City, Ballard) were asked to make that decision by the Greater Seattle Veterans For Peace.

Click for the results, quotes from the day, and photos.

The Richmond Peace Education Center demonstrated at the Brook Road Post  Office on April 15th. They handed out flyers and pizza to people who went to the post office to fill their taxes. See the pictures on their Facebook page.

Activists from Valley War Tax Resistance vigiled, handed out flyers and talked outside the post office.

See the photos here.

by WILPF

WILPF Pittsburgh had a penny poll nest to the post office and handed out flyers discussing military spending in the United States.

See the photos from this action.

Press coverage: View the picture from the local newspaper Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

by Main Line Peace Action

Main Line Peace Action joined Brandywine Peace Community at Philadelphia’s 69th Street Terminal in Upper Darby to reach early morning commuters (7:30-9AM) with the 20′ banner from AFSC graphically showing the federal discretionary budget.  They also passed out 450 flyers, modified from the GDAMS flyer urging “No more tax dollars for the F-35.”

Main Line Peace Action joined with the Philadelphia Granny Peace Brigade at the Philadelphia Post Office later that morning at Broad and 15th Streets to unfurl the banner again and pass out the AFSC mini fold out version of the same graph, while the Grannies buttonholed passersby to participate in their penny poll to indicate where they would like for their tax dollars to go.

See the pictures here.

Oregon Action demonstrated on the bridges of Portland holding signs with the following messages:

• Trillions in debt and death every day
• Don’t like the war? Then refuse to pay
• Let’s not pay for wars and occupations
• Use our taxes for jobs and education!

In the evening the group held a potluck dinner and redirection ceremony at the Peace House, and Ann Huntwork read her letter to the IRS.

See photos here.

Activists gathered at the Eugene downtown post offices on Tax Day, April 15th, to challenge militarism and to call for the re-ordering of federal spending from supporting war to meeting human and environmental needs.

People were provided the opportunity to voice how they would spend their tax dollars when they took part in the “Penny Poll.” Participants were handed 10 pennies, which they deposited in jars representing a 5-category breakdown of the federal budget. The categories and how people voted are as follows:

• Human Resources                  54%
• Physical resources                  24%
• General government               12%
• Paying Down the Debt             7%
• Military                                     3%

“The results are similar to past years. If Eugene residents ran the Federal Government things would be significantly different — their tax dollars would be funding social and environmental programs and not endless war,” said event organizer Michael Carrigan of CALC.

War tax resisters, who object to over half of their federal taxes going to the military, redirected their “war” taxes to local organizations, including Sponsors, Shelter Care, and Occupy Medical as well as other organizations, who were on hand to receive their donations.

Peace activists were joined by activists from Eugene-Springfield Solidarity Network-Jobs with Justice who spoke out for postal workers and keeping the Gateway mail processing center open. Michael Carrigan of CALC spoke in support of postal workers and not war at their rally April 13.

See photos here.

See the photos from the demonstration.

Activists and war tax resisters from NYC War Resisters League, NYC People’s Life Fund and War Tax Resistance, along with members of the Grannies Peace Brigade, Veterans for Peace, Peace Action New York State marched from the Manhattan office of the IRS to the General Post Office. They handed out more than 1,000 pie chart flyers. About 50 people leafleted and vigiled in front of the IRS for over an hour; followed by a march through Times Square with the Rude Mechanical Orchestra to the General Post Office. It made for a lively time, with Rude Mechanical playing music and leading chants.

See the photos here.

by UAlbany Peace Action

UAlbany Peace Action, a student activist club at the University at Albany, held a poll asking students “Do you know where your tax money REALLY goes?”

View photos in their Facebook page.

by Seacoast Peace Response

Seacost Peace Response conducted a War Tax Education Penny Poll in Market Square on April 15 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The action was aimed at calling attention to the cost of the militarized federal budget, and it also showed how tax dollars are being spent.

Obama’s 2013 discretionary budget proposes that 57 percent of tax dollars to be spent on defense. Only 5 percent is proposed for health and 6 percent for education. Seacoast Peace Response and N.H. Peace Action are participating in “Move the Money,” a national campaign to reduce military spending by at least 25 percent and to move the money into local programs to meet human needs. The Pentagon itself has proposed cuts greater than 25 percent. If the U.S. military budget were cut by 80 percent it would still be the largest military budget in the world. Currently, the U.S. spends more money on its military than all the countries on the planet combined, according to a press release issued by Seacoast Peace Response.

The Penny Poll is a large display board with options for people to place pennies, provided by the group, in the categories they think the tax money should be spent in. Some spending options include: veterans benefits, environmental protection, housing, and health care. In last year’s Penny Poll, health care received the most votes with environmental protection coming close behind.

See media report : Penny Poll in Market Square on Monday.

by American Friends Service Committee

The American Friends Service Committee organised a demonstration in order to urge not to cut Social Security, Medicare and Human needs programs. See their flyer here.

War Resisters League Steve Olshewsky handed out 500 WTR Pie Chart at Lexington Kentucky’s main post office from 2 to 7 pm. This action picked up the interest of the Central Kentucky Coalition for Peace & Justice, which has a 1,000 readership newsletter. It also was mentioned in a weekly paper in Eastern Kentucky.

by Chicago Area Peace Action (CAPA)

Please view photos from the CAPA action in their Facebook page.

Honolulu Friends Meeting (Quakers) demonstrated in front of the Downtown Post Office. See the photos here.

Fifty people voted in a penny poll on Tax Day, April 15, in downtown Colorado Springs. Each given 10 pennies to allocate to 8 categories, voters chose healthcare and hunger as top priorities — 21% for each, $1.09 and $1.08, respectively.

The remaining categories received: education, 17% (88 cents); environment, 13% (66 cents); housing, 8% (42 cents); the arts, 8% (40 cents); military, 6% (33 cents); and retirement (6%, 30 cents). Total cash voted was $5.16 — 16 cents are unaccounted for, believed to be contributed by voters.

A dozen activists hosted the poll from 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., offering the War Resisters League pie chart leaflet, Where your income tax money really goes, as well as penny candy to each voter in the penny poll. Given the very military nature of Colorado Springs (5 bases and many “defense” industry contractors), it’s significant that the military received a 6% vote while healthcare and hunger each received more than 3 times as much.

While the federal income tax assigns 47% of its dollars to past and present military use, the people vote for human needs when given a choice. It’s time to move the money!

See the action on Youtube and see the photos here.

On April 15, a dozen of people gathered in front of the Oakland Federal Building to hand out flyers. Some people were lying on the ground covered with sheets while others read the names of people who died in Afghanistan and Iraq.

$22,000 in grants from Northern Calfornia People’s Life Fund (PLF) were distributed in a ceremony on tax day evening at the Co-Housing Common House in Berkeley. The funds for PLF grants come from interest earned on a pool of income tax dollars that activists refuse to pay to the federal government because they cannot in good conscience support the government’s use of these taxes for military purposes. Instead they choose to re-direct them to community organizations through the PLF. One of the priorities is to fund groups that include in their leadership the people impacted by the work of the organization.

On April 15, Tax Day, volunteers conducted the annual Penny Poll in front of the Arcata, CA post office.  A total of about 186 people took the time to vote by distributing ten pennies among ten containers labeled to represent major government programs. By choosing where they want their federal tax dollars to go, they can also inform the community about their priorities.

The graph of the Penny Poll votes by Humboldt County taxpayers looks like an inverted image of the federal government priorities.  The federal budget allocates 55% of our discretionary budget tax dollars to the military, and a total of 18% to Education, Health, Environment, Housing and Social Services.  Local people choose to give only 3% to the military and 78% of their taxes to those five programs.

The Penny Poll is carried out every year on tax day, in front of post offices across the country. While results do vary slightly from city to city, the Poll consistently shows broad consensus for a federal budget that addresses people’s basic needs rather than shoveling funds into the military industrial complex.

See photos here.

Peace activists held signs outside Tucson’s RaytheonMissile Systems while the workers arrived for the early morning shift.

The messages were “Not With Our Tax Dollars”, “Drones: Terror From the Sky” and “Will the World’s Children Survive Your Work?” — the group publicly expressed their desire that tax dollars fund social needs such as education and health care rather than the pilotless drones, cruise missiles, Star Wars “kill vehicles”, cluster bombs and more built at Raytheon’s Tucson plant.

That afternoon, John Heid had a trial in Tucson City Court for his December 28, 2012 arrest during a drone protest at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, home to an active combat predator drone unit. He told the judge that he didn’t go to Davis-Monthan AFB that day with criminal intent, but rather with the intent to challenge criminality. Heid was found guilty of trespass and sentenced to time served on the day of his arrest.

See the photos.

“In 33 states and 86 cities and towns, peace, economic justice, faith based groups used Tax Day and GDAMS to continue grassroots pressure on Congress to change national spending priorities and end the austerity drive to cut jobs and human needs to balance the federal budget.”

Read this excellent report on activities in the US – complete with pictures – from the Peace Blog, written by our US Coordinator, Judith LeBlanc at Peace Action.

Eleven members from East Bay Citizens for Peace’s stood outside the Bristol Post Office on Saturday April 13 from 11 to noon. They held signs that said:  “Tax to help, not to kill”,  “Fund our Communities – Not War”,  “How is the war economy working for you?”, and handed out 40  GDAMS fliers . Their tax day letter to the editor was printed in the local newspaper and included on the back of the flier. Passersby stopped to thank them, drivers honked and waved and many, including a couple from Germany, made a point of saying how much they agreed with them.

Occupy Maine Bath/Brunswick and Greater Brunswick Peace Work organised a vigil outside the post office on April 13, 2013.

See photos here.

The coalition of Bay Area organizations had over 40-50 volunteers passing out nearly 8,000 flyers to BART subway commuters mostly in the morning and some in the afternoon. Some people leafleted along Piedmont Avenue and at the noontime vigil at the Oakland Federal Building. They covered three BART stops in San Francisco and up to 12 in the East Bay.

They also held a press conference at 6 am that had a KPIX TV van pull up and then away and one article in Chinese in the World Journal.

See the photos here.

That’s Where the Money Goes by Lawrence S. Wittner (LA Progressive)

US Still Dominates in Arms Spending by Lawrence S. Wittner (Consortiumnews)

Tax Day and the Pentagon by Kevin Martin (The Indypendent)

Tax resisters protest being forced to fund the military;  Global Day of Action on Military Spending (FSRN)

Institute for Policy Studies

April 17th protesters embarked on the Walk of Shame, where they visited the biggest tax-dodging war profiteers in the country (such as Halliburton, Navistar Defense, GE, and Bank of America), and their government enablers in the White House on Tax Day.

We held a street theater action demonstrating how government money is thrown at military contractors while the sick are denied assistance in covering healthcare costs, the elderly see social security dry up, and children are given a second-class education.

Occupy LA

Occupy activists held a march and a protest near a plant run by aerospace and defense contractor Boeing. The Occupiers were demonstrating against what they see as too much military spending by the U.S. government. ‘These private industries are the ones who profit for killings while the citizens of United States are barely living paycheck to paycheck,’ said Pete Styles. ‘It’s a sad state of affairs when people turn a blind eye to things because it’s not happening in their own backyards.’

Footage of Occupy Protest here:

And Code Pink speakers remarks here:

Raytheon Peacemakers

Early in the morning of April 17, 2012, as workers arrived at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona, members of the Raytheon Peacemakers gathered for a peace vigil outside the missile factory. Also Tax Day in the United States, some of their signs read, “Tax Dollars for Health Care, Not Missiles”, “No Profit From War” and “Will the World’s Children Survive Your Work?”.

Raytheon Missile Systems is the most profitable division of the war profiteer. With its headquarters and largest factory in Tucson, Raytheon Missile Systems employs about 12,000 people in southern Arizona.

For more than a decade, Raytheon has hailed Tucson as the Missile Technology Capital of the World – a center for lethal innovation and cutting-edge killing for profit. From Standard Missiles to Star Wars “kill vehicles”, Mavericks and AMRAAMs, microwave crowd control beams and pilotless drones, cluster bombs and cruise missiles – it’s all made here, some even sold to friends and foes of friends alike.

The Raytheon Peacemakers hold a peace vigil there each month to demonstrate against war and those who profit from it. The activists believe that survival demands better ideas, not better weapons.

East Bay Citizens for Peace/Quequechan Alliance/Occupy Providence

On Saturday, April 14th, East Bay Citizens for Peace with support from Quequechan Alliance* and Occupy Providence, held a Tax Day Vigil for Peace and Justice outside the Bristol, R.I. Post Office. This was part of a nation wide action spear headed by New Priorities Network and the 25% Campaign in order to draw attention to inequities in our system and the bloated military budget. In addition to distributing informational hand outs explaining how our tax dollars are spent and holding vigil signs we invited passers by to participate in a Penny Poll.

The Penny Poll that recapitulates similar polls held in many other cities and towns across the country asks participants to prioritize government spending using 10 pennies that represented the total discretionary budget. They were then asked to “spend” these pennies on ten federal budget categories. During the hour long action, 17 passersby chose to take part. Health and Education were the big winners!

The following are the results: 3c Government & International Affairs; 9c Housing & community; 9c Military; 10c; Transportation; 12c Science; 13c Food & Agriculture; 17c Veterans Benefits; 20c; Energy & Environment; 35c Health; 38c Education

Participants seemed to enjoy this action and many were surprised to learn that in the current budget, military spending gobbles up 6 of the 10 pennies leaving 4 for all other categories. They engaged in discussion about their priorities and took hand outs and wrote on pre addressed post cards to their Representatives.

*East Bay Citizens for Peace and Quequechan Alliance are part of a SENE 25% Solution Coalition and are members of the New Priorities Network – a nation wide movement to reduce military spending and fund communities instead.

Delaware Valley New Priorities Network

30 or so of us, mostly veterans of the labor and peace struggles, gathered during the noon hour at the East Portal of Philadelphia City Hall and listened, shared, and sang with hope that our governments might end their submission to militarism. We lifted up the resolution that Councilwoman Maria D. Quinones-Sanchez introduced, to our surprise, last Thursday, a resolution we sponsored entitled “Redirect Military Spending Fund Our Communities.” We urged people to contact their own councilperson to support the resolution when it comes for a vote. Because, also surprisingly, we learned that when she did introduce it last week, there actually was opposition to it, for all the reasons we’ve come to know are so wrong: it might endanger our soldiers; it might look bad for the President in an election year. The opposition came from Councilman-at-large Kinney.

Granny Peace Brigades/War Resisters League/Veterans for Peace/New York State Peace Action/Code Pink/National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee/Raging Grannies/Rude Mechanical Orchestra

GDAMS in the USA coincided with Tax Day, the deadline for filing tax forms for the Federal, State and local governments. Together with various peace groups, the Granny Peace Brigade (GPB) met outside the Internal Revenue Office on 44th Street and then proceeded to the Main Post Office on 32nd Street.

Our action represented the work also of the War Resisters League, Veterans for Peace, New York State Peace Action, Code Pink, the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee, and the Raging Grannies and supporters. Last but not least, we were accompanied by a marching band named the Rude Mechanical Orchestra…who are only rude to warmongers!

We distributed GDAMS flyers; the War Resisters’ “pie chart” flyers; and sang songs as we marched. Thanks to Occupy Wall Street many important issues are now raised in the US so some messages were about the 99 percent and the greed so prevalent in our society. There were messages, banners and signs galore as we handed out flyers!

We stand in solidarity with the work of GDAMS and are proud to be engaged in the efforts of the International Peace Bureau, the Institute for Policy Studies and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Onward!

Eastern Mass Coalition to Fund Our Communities

A dozen-plus members of the eastern Mass Coalition to Fund Our Communities – Cut Military Spending 25%, Mass Peace Action, MoveOn, and Dorchester People for Peace converged on the Boston offices of GE Capital to target GE as a tax dodger and tax misuser / military contractor. Props included a Tax Man puppet (Where Is GE? I’ve Come to Collect Its Taxes!), a missile, and a Pentagon pinata that when busted spilled out money, jobs and services. Short speeches described how GE’s turn to military manufacturing hurt its workers and others, and how we need to cut military spending so as to fund programs we need.

Our contingent then joined a 1000-person march targeting GE and other tax-dodging corporations. The overall protest included a speaker on military spending and it was organized by Right to the City-Boston, MassUniting, Jobs with Justice, and others. Thanks to MassUniting’s Nora Boedecker for filming and taping the action.

Hawai’i Peace and Justice/Honolulu Friends Meeting/Progressive Democrats

At least 20+ protesters showed up to hold banners and signs in front of the Downtown Honolulu Post Office notifying taxpayers and passersby about the huge portion of their tax dollars that go to the military. Hawai’i Peace and Justice was joined by Honolulu Friends Meeting members and Progressive Democrats. Fliers were available, as well as jars labeled “Housing”, “Education”, “Farms”, “Health”, “Military” so that people dropping by could choose where they would rather spend their taxes. Instead of actual money, they could drop skittles in each jar. Lots of people saw the large bright twelve-foot banner, and slowed down to look, and some stopped by.

Bryn Mawr Peace Coalition

“On Tax Day, April 18, in front of the Post Office at both morning rush and lunch hours, six members of the Bryn Mawr Peace Coalition (BMPC) held posters and distributed literature advocating the reduction of military spending and illustrating the distribution of income tax dollars. The morning crowd either accepted the material or neutrally declined, but the lunchtime crowd was generally very negative toward the cause. A welcome small minority eagerly accepted the handouts and thanked us for our efforts, but most folks walked by with surly looks on their faces and scowled when offered printed material. Many stated angrily that they knew how their income tax dollars were used and didn’t need us to tell them, or that they were ex-military or had family members actively serving in the armed forces; as though that automatically meant they supported current outrageous military expenditures. One man said we must be socialists or communists. A Post Office employee came outside to tell us they’d had several phone calls complaining that we were blocking access to the curbside mailboxes (which we were not) and asked us to move from the front of the building. What a sad awakening to the support this part of the world is giving to the current allocation of funds!”

Tough crowd in Southeastern PA… Keep up the struggle Bryn Mawr!

Taxes for Peace Not War / Community Alliance of Lane County / Jobs with Justice / Eugene-Springfield Solidarity Network / Industrial Workers of the World

“Activists gathered at the Eugene downtown post offices on Tax Day, April 18th, to challenge militarism and corporate greed and to call for the re-ordering of federal spending priorities from supporting war to meeting human and environmental needs. Close to 100 people were provided the opportunity to voice how they would spend their tax dollars when they took part in the ‘Penny Poll’. Participants were handed 10 pennies, which they deposited in jars representing a 6-category breakdown of the federal budget. Eugene taxpayers have clearly had it with the Iraq/Afghanistan wars and want their elected officials to do more to bring these wars to an immediate end. If Eugene residents ran the Federal Government things would be significantly different — their tax dollars would be funding social and environmental programs and not endless war. War tax resisters, who object to over half of their federal taxes going to the military, redirected their ‘war’ taxes to local organizations, including Planned Parenthood, Whitebird and Shelter Care, who were on hand to receive their donations.”

Greater New Haven Peace Council

“On the traditional tax day, April 15, and to last minute tax filers on the 18th, we distributed fliers detailing the budget breakdown using information from the National Priorities Project. We also held an End the Wars vigil in front of the entrance to the Yale School of Medicine with medical students who are working on just medical care for children in Israel/Palestine.”

Peace Action Cleveland

Full event debrief available here.

Brooklyn for Peace

“Brooklyn for Peace reached over 3,000 folks with our ‘The Cost of War is Killing Brooklyn’ flier at a number of locations on Tax Day – April 15.”

Greater New Haven Peace Council

“On the traditional tax day, April 15, and to last minute tax filers on the 18th, we distributed fliers detailing the budget breakdown using information from the National Priorities Project. We also held an End the Wars vigil in front of the entrance to the Yale School of Medicine with medical students who are working on just medical care for children in Israel/Palestine.”

American Friends Service Committee

LEPOCO Peace Center

“The LEPOCO Peace Center in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania in the U.S.A. held a walk through a community devastated by warped priorities that place the military budget over social spending. We visited several places that are suffering because of misused funds. The event was organized by the Nuclear Abolition Sisters, a working group of LEPOCO. We posted our photos from Tuesday’s “Stop Funding War! Fund Our Communities!” Walk for Peace to an album on Facebook. Included in the captions is the text we read at each stop.”

Peace Action Columbus

“On April 12 we were at the Ohio Statehouse with visits to legislators comparing the cost to feed poor folk and the cost to feed the war fighting machine. We met with six freshman legislators, both Republican and Democrat.

“Our slogan is end wars, tax wealth, and expand public services.”

Veterans for Peace / Union of Maine Visual Artists / Raging Grannies

“It was a great day in Augusta. We had long planned our day to hold a rally calling on all elected officials in Maine to demand that we Bring Our War $$ Home. Due to bad weather last Friday we were asked by the Union of Maine Visual Artists to share our rally permit with them. Without hesitation we agreed and by the end of the day 400 people had turned out to take part in a protest double-header.

The Bring Our War $$ Home campaign led off the event with an hour of speakers and music. One stirring moment occurred when the fiery Mayor of Biddeford, Joanne Twomey, joined us and took the microphone to say that she is tired of cutting jobs and social programs in her city. She said that at the last city council meeting she brought up cutting war spending as an alternative to these cutbacks and then told the roaring crowd “I offer a challenge to every mayor in Maine to say we need to Bring Our War $$ Home.” Maine public radio aired some of her strong words in their evening news report from the capital.

The rally began with singing by the Raging Grannies and then Dud Hendrick, president of Maine Veterans for Peace, underscored the importance of the day as it was the 43rd anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. who many believe was killed because he spoke out against the Vietnam War – calling it a war on “programs of social uplift” as well as morally bankrupt.

Following a quick change of signs the chanting crowd switched gears and gave their full attention to speakers lined by the Union of Maine Visual Artists who came to protest the controversial decision by our new governor to pull down a labor oriented mural from the walls inside the state Department of Labor. You can see some news coverage of the rally here

Today was a good example of group solidarity and connecting the dots between the issues. I was proud that the Bring Our War $$ Home rally showed how addiction to war is tied to our addiction to oil. Our speakers linked climate change, militarism, social spending cuts, attacks on labor and civil liberties, and the need to protect one another.

In my opening words I said the following: “We’re at a crucial time – No more going it alone – no more of the ‘business model of organizing’ where everyone/every group just looks out for themselves. Those days are over. They will pick us off one at a time if we continue to do that. We are all in this together now – it’s gotta be all for one and one for all…..or nothing. It’s time we showed the links between all the issues and put out an alternative sustainable vision for the future.”

Press coverage of the Maine event to be found here and here.

“Base Actions” Campaign / Bay Area CodePink / San Francisco Veterans for Peace / Nevada County Peace Center / Military Families Speak Out / S.F. AFSC

“We held signs and banners and distributed fliers for a few hours during the morning and afternoon commutes at the entrance to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California. In spite of multiple interferences from civilian and military police, over 80 fliers were distributed educating military personnel about the obscene economic and social costs of excessive military spending. This was our third visit to Travis in a campaign to have a monthly presence at ‘a military base near you.’ We all have military bases not far from where we live. We’re all affected by our military and its actions. From contaminating thousands of acres of land all over the world to waging war on innocents for the sake of greed, global militarization is reprehensible. No one in good conscience can stand by as our government proceeds with death and destruction in our names. We’ve had enough!”

American Friends Service Committee

Some activists set up a visual display and passed out leaflets in the Glen Park neighborhood of San Francisco.

New Priorities Campaign

The New Priorities Campaign held a rally in Oakland featuring speakers and poets demanding that the government move the money away from military expenditures.

Institute for Policy Studies

IPS and its DC partners (including the Washington Peace Center, CodePink, and representatives from local peace and human needs groups) gathered at Lafayette Park. We shared “flash facts” demonstrating the trade-offs between military spending and human needs spending interspersed with poems from six local poets. We then gathered for a quick photo op outside the White House.

RT’s report on military spending and the SIPRI numbers includes footage of this event, starting at about 2:03:

“At American University we held a teach-in with professors, a former Department of Defense contractor in Iraq, an Iraq war veteran, and other peace activists. The discussion ranged from the issue of propaganda to how citizens are affected to what needs to happens next in order to realign spending with civilian needs. Outside we had an interactive component where we showed students what percentage of the budget actually goes to military spending. We also set up hundreds of little flags to compare military spending to the Millennium Development Goals. The flag representation was very successful in grabbing the attention of students and fueling an interest to learn more about military spending. ”

Peace & Justice Action League of Spokane
“The Peace & Justice Action League of Spokane (PJALS) organized a GDAMS event to distribute literature and collect signatures for their Bring Our Billion$ Home campaign. Volunteers distributed information from the SIPRI report as well as on the costs of war and the trade-offs for Washington State’s 5th Congressional District. This information was given to 100 individuals with 60 of them following up with endorsements for our Bring Our Billion$ Home campaign, which calls for the US to end war, occupation, and military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq; reduce the Pentagon budget; and shift spending to job creation, education, health care, affordable housing, environmental protection, an effective social safety net, infrastructure, new technologies, defense of Social Security and Medicare from threatened cuts and other efforts that enhance the common good of our society.”

Paul Erlbaum and supporters

Distribution of military spending questionnaire.

Peace and Justice Center

“Anti-war protestors gathered in Burlington Tuesday to send a message about military spending.

“Tuesday is the Global Day of Action on Military Spending. Protestors marched and rallied on Church Street to promote awareness on the amount of money the United States spends on the military. They say with the debate on government spending in Congress both Republicans and Democrats should look to reduce spending on war.”

Local news report available here.

Pax Christi Southeastern SD

Arcadia Amnesty International

“We took photographs with signs that explained what we do with $1.6 trillion dollars. We also hung up posters up at Arcadia,” including the one below.

Veterans for Peace / Leah Bolger

“In Corvallis, Oregon we passed out fliers [view here] in front of our public library which used to be open 7 days a week, but has already been cut to 6, and will most likely be cut to 5 soon. We also took pictures of people letting us know how they would rather have their tax dollars spent rather than on war.”

Lots of great photos from this one!

OLE Peace Plus / AFSC

United Nations Office of the Chaplain

35 representatives from 25 different religious NGOs working at the United Nations attended a luncheon workshop on the Global Day of Action on Military Spending entitled: “What is civil society’s role at the U.N., in the streets, and in the pew/temple/gurdwara/mosque regarding militarism, militarization and military expenditures?” Hosted by the Office of the Chaplain and the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations, presentations were made by three faith-based organizations who are already actively programming and strategizing around this theme. Speakers included Hiro Sakurai from Soka Gokkai International, Dennis Frado from the Lutheran World Federation and Allison Pytlak from Religions for Peace. The goal of the program was to reinvigorate the conversation and action around this vital topic in a community which, while very involved in multiple agendas and coalitions, do not necessarily have military expenditures as a focus of work. As an outcome, participants decided to meet again to further analyze and explore how we can better link vital actions in this arena and work across the silos.”

Upper Hudson Peace Action

“Upper Hudson Peace Action, based in Albany, New York, participated in the Global Day of Action on Military Spending by holding a noon time vigil in front of the New York State Capitol Building. Eight of us vigiled. We held signs saying “How is the War Economy Working for You?” We also handed out fliers that included facts such as “39 cents of each dollar paid in taxes to pay for current wars, war preparation and the debt on past wars. That works out to be $9,645 each year for each household in the U.S. How much are you paying for war? The United States maintains 820 military installations in 135 countries around the world. Does this make sense?”

Nebraskans for Peace

Excellent rally featuring a well-known former state senator and dozens of activists:

More media coverage here and here.

American Friends Service Committee

A group of citizens held a vigil in downtown Kansas City to highlight the harmfully high portion of government spending that goes towards the military budget.

More news coverage of the event with photos here.

Students for Peace

“We had Jean Athey come speak about the costs of the militarization of America, and we also did a flag display showing the amount of additional money needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals vs. Military Spending for one year. Each flag represented a billion dollars, so we used close to 2 thousand flags! We gave out fliers with more info on the display, a graph on discretionary spending, and websites for War Resisters International and National Priorities Project. Many people stopped to talk. The majority of those people asked questions, thanked us for doing the display, and agreed with what we were doing. A few people stopped who were offended and felt that we were insulting the military and America. We engaged these passerby, gave them facts, and listened to their opinions. One woman who had stopped at the display asked one particularly angry guy if he had ever served in the military. He admitted that he had not. She revealed that she had served for 5 years and had seen first hand the waste and misdirection of funds. She spent the next 30 minutes calmly listening to the angry man, sympathizing with his feelings, but standing firmly in support of the display and message.”

American Friends Service Committee

Kyle Kajihiro and co-organizers

“In Hawai’i, we conducted what we call a ‘DeTour’ (demilitarization focused geopolitical reality tour) of military-occupied sites in Hawai’i, including Ke Awalau o Pu’uloa (the original name for Pearl Harbor). The tour presented an alternative narrative of how Hawai’i was invaded and occupied by the U.S. military to expand the American empire across the Pacific and recounted the costs and consequences of those developments.

“From outside the headquarters of the Pacific Command, the oldest and largest of the U.S. unified military commands, we discussed how the military presence in Hawai’i is like a monstrous octopus with tentacles that impact other peoples and nations in the Asia-Pacific region. We also discussed how Ke Awalau o Pu’uloa, once a rich fishery and source of food and peace for O’ahu island has become a symbol of war, tragedy and contamination, and ventured to discuss how it might once again be restored as a source of life. We ended the tour at a farm and learning center on the shores of Ke Awalau o Pu’uloa where we planted trees towards the creation of new ‘bases’ for peace, justice and sustainability. ”