Portland ME: Rally for Democracy, Tomorrow November 6th, 5 PM, Monument Square

THE TIME IS NOW! RALLY FOR PEACE! RALLY FOR DEMOCRACY!

Where: Monument Square, Portland, ME 04101 ( Map )

When: Friday, November 6, 2009, 5 PM

Portland will be the site of a major Rally featuring David Swanson on Friday, November 6 at 5:00 PM. Swanson, a nationally recognized activist and author, is co-founder of AfterDowningStreet.org, creator of ProsecuteBushCheney.org, the Washington Director of Democrats.com, and a board member of Progressive Democrats for America. He served as press secretary for Dennis Kucinich's 2004 presidential campaign and has been a leading voice for the prosecution of Bush and Cheney for war crimes.

His new book Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union is an assessment of how Bush/Cheney fundamentally altered the way our government works, inflated the powers of the executive, and deteriorated the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Only through the active efforts of citizens, Swanson argues, can we restore our rights, and expand our conception of political rights to meet new challenges. Daybreak offers a shocking and inspirational breakdown of all that we have lost, and all that we have to gain.

Also speaking at the Rally are:

• Dud Hendrick, President of Maine Veterans for Peace, Chapter #001; Lisa Savage, CODE PINK MAINE local coordinator; and Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space. Herb Hoffman, Vice President of Maine Veterans for Peace, Chapter #001 and former candidate for the United States Senate, is the Master of Ceremony.

  Dud Hendrick will address issues concerning how the American public has been numbed by militarism and the implications for US policies, both foreign and domestic.

• Lisa Savage will represent the CODE PINK platform calling for the cessation of funding wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq while recognizing that military force does nothing to prevent terrorism. CODE PINK advocates for funding human needs not wars.
• Bruce Gagnon, recently returned from South Korea, will connect his experiences in Korea and issues here in Maine, including Bath Iron Works, low flying F-15s in Western Maine and the proposed DRONE testing site at the Brunswick Naval Air Station.
• Hana Maris, singer/songwriter, peace activist along with Joan Fox, vocalist, and Kim Hoffman, violinist, will share their music to inspire and motivate those in attendance.

The Rally is being co-sponsored by Veterans for Peace - Chapter #001, Code Pink of Maine, Peace Action Maine, Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, Waterville Area Bridges for Peace and Justice, and the Peace and Justice Center of Eastern Maine.

• All Troops Home from Afghanistan/Pakistan and Iraq - NOW!
• Jobs and Health Care, Not War and WMDs!
• Bring Maine National Guard Home - NOW!
• No DRONES in Maine.

All are urged to come to the Rally and demonstrate their concern and commitment.

Immediately following the conclusion of the Rally at 6 PM, David Swanson will go to the Longfellow Bookstore, just a few yards away, and do a Book Signing of his recently published work, DAYBREAK: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union. David will speak about his book and be available for a Q & A. This is an opportunity to demonstrate that the people of Maine are not going to quietly accept the direction in which our country is headed.