All Across MN: Protesters Declare Thursday Zero Recruitment Day: Incredible

[annm4peace]

in solidarity with those across the Nation.

http://tc.indymedia.org/2009/apr/complete-coverage-zero-recruitment-day-more-photos-coming-soon

On April 23, hundreds of people participated in protests at 5 military recruitment centers across the Twin Cities. An anti-war demonstration was also held in front of the ROTC office at Mankato State University. The following day, students from Macalester College took direct action at a recruiting center near the University of MN campus. The 7 total actions were part of the Anti-War Committee-initiated Zero Recruitment Day. Objectives were to protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, expose recruiter lies, and disrupt the business of recruitment using a diversity of tactics. The series of actions featured several arrests, intense confrontation, funny tricks, and quick getaways. The following are reports and photos from all groups that took action on April 23.

Related: Live TCIMC Updates from April 23
Anti-War Committee
The AWC action began at 8:30 am with protesters unfurling a “Foreclose the War” banner and handing out counter-recruitment brochures to passersby. Soon the sidewalk in front of the recruiting center was covered in chalk body outlines and statistics about current U.S. warfare and its effect on people at home and abroad.

“One of our main goals was to denounce recruiter lies and tell the truth about the U.S. military,” said Meredith Aby. “Recruiters say that if you enlist you'll get money for college, a better job outlook, and a bright future. But in reality, less than half of soldiers ever get any money for school, and people often face greater economic hardship after serving in the military.”



The brochures handed out noted some more startling statistics:

* 300,000 soldiers who served in Iraq or Afghanistan have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
* Veterans earn 15% less than other workers of the same socio-economic status.
* One third of homeless people are veterans.
* Two thirds of army families live on food stamps or other public assistance.

Protesters at Lake and Lyndale also read the names of the 66 MN soldiers who have been killed in Iraq, as well as the names of Iraqis who have died.



http://twincities.indymedia.org/files/signs,%20peace%20sign.JPG

Later in the afternoon, the size of the rally swelled to at least 40 people, and suddenly the windows and door of the recruiting center were plastered with colorful anti-recruitment posters, stickers, and a string of foreclosure signs. Two recruiters took pictures of activists from inside the locked office, but when police arrived they were unable to make any arrests. Several squad cars appeared, and police declared the entire northwest corner of Lake and Lyndale a crime scene.

When onlookers asked why the recruiting center was cordoned off with police tape, organizers explained that the wars in Iraq in Afghanistan are a crime against humanity. Police couldn't identify the substance used to stick the posters and signs to the windows, so they called in a “Hazardous Materials” team to investigate. Soon much of Lake St. was blocked by 3 fire trucks. (According to rumor, the mysterious substance was a mixture of Elmer's Glue and water.) Whatever it was must have been sticky because the posters were still up the following day.










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at another location:

Lockdown in Brooklyn Center
Four people arrived bright and early at the Brookdale Mall, and successfully secured themselves to both doors of the Armed Services Career Center. Two attached themselves to door handles with U-locks around their necks, and two with lockboxes made from PVC pipe and a network of chains. Supporters posted a large sign on the center’s windows that read “Stop recruitment, Stop the wars.”




Shortly after, recruiters arrived for work, and began congregating in the parking lot after they realized they were locked out. Police arrived at approximately 8 am, explaining that they were there to “keep the peace.” At around 8:30am, a Brooklyn Center police commander explained that the owners of the property wanted them gone, and that police could arrest everyone present for trespassing. However, they said that as long as everything stayed peaceful, and that masses did not congregate, that they would take no further action.

Throughout the morning, recruiters were unable to enter the building. Several potential recruits approached the station and left because it was closed. Around 10:30, 7 Hennepin County Sheriff Department vehicles and a fire truck arrived on the scene, along with several recruiters. After a ten minute huddle, the entire group approached the activists and ordered all present to disperse. A supporter asked if the two medics could stay on site and the commander immediately replied “No.”




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and another location:

students for a Democratic Society – University of MN (Photos by Kim Defranco)
Tensions flared when anti-war students and supporters confronted College Republican counter-protesters who had gathered in front of the recruiting center on Washington Ave near campus. Students successfully shut down the recruiting center despite threats from counter-protesters, who shoved people to the ground, harassed people of color, and waved signs advocating torture.









“We succeeded in the face of blatant racism and aggression,” said Jennie Eisert. “We held our position, sent a clear anti-war message, and outlasted the counter-protesters, all while preventing recruitment from happening.”

http://twincities.indymedia.org/files/U-bullhorn,%20flag.jpg

http://twincities.indymedia.org/files/U-counter,%20jennie.jpg

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and the Grandmothers took on another Recruiting Station

Grandmothers Peace Brigade
At the Knollwood Mall Army Recruitment Center in St. Louis Park, 13 grandmothers showed up in matching W.W.G.D. t-shirts (What Would Grandma Do?) and attempted to enlist. Recruiters said no and immediately called police, who subsequently blocked the door and refused to let anyone else into the recruiting center. Recruitment was delayed for at least 45 minutes until 3 grandmothers were arrested for trespassing after refusing to the leave the office.

Outside, dozens of supporters held signs visible to a constant stream of morning traffic saying “A Wrinkle in the Plan, Send Grandmas to Afghanistan” and “Our Children are Not Cannon Fodder” as well as “U.S. Out of Iraq and Afghanistan”.

At noon, 10 people went back into the mall and had coffee at tables right outside the recruiting office. With mall security and recruiters nearby, one wily activist pretended to get a phone call, then said loudly, “You're kidding. 200 people are coming? In buses? In an hour?” Recruiters took the bait, locked the office, and more police were called in.

“With this tactic we were able to close the office down for a couple more hours,” said Sarah Martin. “We were all very pleased and grateful to be a part of this successful and important action.”

Twin Cities Peace Campaign/Alliant Action
Members of both groups arrived at the Army/Navy Recruiting Center in West St. Paul at 8:30 am. When the office opened, the group went inside to talk to recruiters, who made it clear that they “were not going to enter into a dialogue.”

Outside the office, demonstrators displayed a large banner reading “Out of Afghanistan/Out of Iraq Now.” Later that morning, an activist arrived with a casket containing the names of MN soldiers who have died in Iraq and pictures of Iraqi children.

Five police cars arrived on the scene around 10 am. After speaking with recruiters, officers told protesters to move to another sidewalk away from the recruiting office. No one agreed to move, and eventually police allowed them to remain in front of the recruiting center “as long as they stayed five feet from the door”.

Throughout the day dozens of demonstrators distributed nearly 300 flyers on cars in the Wal-Mart, Rainbow, and Target lots. Security guards from Wal-Mart and Target told them they were not allowed to put literature on the cars, but this failed to deter leafletters, who re-collected stray brochures to prevent any litter from being left behind.

“We felt it was a successful action because of the number of people who saw us and the majority of positive responses we got,” said Marie Braun. “We want Americans to publicly proclaim that we will not send our children to war because our government and multinational corporations covet the resources of other nations. We came to say, you can’t have our young people. At least not today.”


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And Especially we praise action in Mankato..

Mankato
(From a press release)
The Mankato Area Activist Collective participated in Zero Recruitment Day, demonstrating outside the ROTC center on the University of MN-Mankato campus. MAAC believes that the ROTC is in violation of University policies, discriminating against LGBTQ, the disabled, and even against people based on age. Moreover the ROTC is extension of the Army Recruiting Center, but more insidious in the way that it targets struggling college students. The ROTC uses the same deceptive and misleading recruiting tactics used by other recruiters, engages in the same abuses, but also insinuates itself into the university system, characterizing itself as a college education in “military science” which in no way either educates or prepares students four life outside the military.

The military is not a job training program or an academic discipline. It sole function is to turn young men and women in to instruments of death and, even if there is a legitimate function of a military, the armed forces of this country today capitalize on patriotism to transform students into the tools by which this state can impose itself upon the peoples of the world in the interest of corporate profit.

MAAC believes that one day with no recruitment will save the lives and consciousness of all those that would have signed up.

In conclusion…
Seven months after the Republican National Convention, activists across Minnesota are still working together to build a movement against U.S. imperialism. Zero Recruitment Day continued a pattern of diverse tactics, including civil disobedience and direct action, to send a clear message: Don’t Enlist, Resist!

[ShortnFiery]

1. Too Cool! We need to follow Minnesota's lead and have one in Virginia. eom

[Soylent Brice]

2. Awesome!!

K&R

[LiberalFighter]

3. Whoever uploaded the hugemongous photos need to learn how to reduce them.

Or provide smaller photos. They don't do well on forums like here because it requires scrolling back and forth to view those photos and to read the text.


That first big one was 1600x1200. 500px wide would had been more than enough.

[Dappleganger]

11. Free online photo resizer tool.

http://www.shrinkpictures.com/

Trying to be helpful instead of just complaining. ;)

[LiberalFighter]

12. The OP wasn't entirely at fault. The IndyMedia site should know better.

Doesn't it cost them when files are that big?

[Lifelong Protester]

4. Great work! Brings tears to my eyes and fond rememberances

of my youth. I am a Macalester alum, and learned the best about activism whilst there. Hence, my DU name.

[NeedleCast]

5. "“Recruiters say that if you enlist you'll get money for college, a better job outlook, and a bright

future."

That's funny...because I did five years and pretty much got all those things. Guess it's not always a lie.

[KG]

6. !

:thumbsup:

[ensho]

7. wonderful! hugs and kisses all around

nt

[raccoon]

8. Good for them! nt

[csziggy]

9. And not one peep on M$M today - though they have live coverage of Palin's email trial

These demonstrations are awesome and inspiring! What great work.

I particularly admire the fake cell phone call:
'With mall security and recruiters nearby, one wily activist pretended to get a phone call, then said loudly, “You're kidding. 200 people are coming? In buses? In an hour?” Recruiters took the bait, locked the office, and more police were called in."
:yourock: :applause:

[gratuitous]

10. So, where is the 24-7 wall-to-wall coverage?

Oh, they're not Tea Baggers? Never mind, then. Just some focus group. Or some dirty fucking hippies. Or crunchy granola tree-huggers.

Liberal media my sweet Aunt Fanny.

[spanone]

13. if they were teabastards every media outlet in america would be there

[tb1988]

14. Great post, Ann!

And great work, Minnesotans!!!

[annm4peace]

15. Hope others cities can do the same

Recruiters have left several of the high school campus from the continued requests for the truth.

[lib_wit_it]

16. Lawdy, lawdy it's heartwarming to know such activism still exists. Thanks for reporting this!