"The occupation of Iraq is sliding into further war crimes and deepening violence against civilians. We will not remain silent as more and more horrific images of abuse against Iraqi prisoners – many innocent detainees – and women and children continue to bombard us on the nightly news and in newspapers while George W. Bush is not held accountable and steadfastly lies to the people of this country," says Cate Woods-Russo , Carmel, IPAC rally organizer , director of the Indiana Iraq Pledge of Resistance , and board member of the Indianapolis Peace and Justice Center . "This rally will mark the Indiana kick-off of protests planned for both the Democrat and Republican conventions, and on through the election in November where many of us from Indiana will join with others to send a simple message to both John Kerry and George W. Bush: 'Bring our troops home – now !'"

June, 2004 also marks the 37th anniversary of Israel's illegal military occupation of Palestine's West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem .

Bob Baldwin , Indianapolis, another IPAC rally organizer and longtime antiwar activist, says: "This occupation denies the Palestinian people the right to self-determination, fuels bloodshed, and prevents the establishment of a just peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Our government provides Israel with the military, economic, and diplomatic support Israel depends on to sustain its military occupation. We demand that our government end its military, economic, and diplomatic support for Israel's illegal military occupation.

Another hot topic at the protest will be the steady erosion of civil liberties under the Bush regime by Homeland Security and the Patriot Act , Woods-Russo says. As local evidence of this, she points to three lawsuits against IPD that have been filed by the Indiana Civil Liberties Union for violating the rights of protesters during that event. Woods-Russo, veteran radical anti-war activist and anti-interventionist, is a litigant in two of the lawsuits. In preparation for upcoming protests at both political conventions and the annual November protest at the School of the Americas at Ft. Benning, GA, the former New Jersey resident, who has over 50 arrests for nonviolent civil disobedience or civil resistance, recently facilitated three trainings on nonviolent civil disobedience.

Charlie Wiles, of the Peace Learning Center and IPJC officer, was the emcee. Woods-Russo and Baldwin will speak at the rally, as will Dee Lichtenberger , IPAC member and former state coordinator of the Dennis Kucinich presidential campaign. The event included a special tribute to Ron and Jane Haldeman, Indianapolis Peace and Justice Center officers, who have worked tirelessly in the community for more than 45 years.

Key speakers included Bill Breedon, well-known Owen County antiwar and anti-death penalty activist and Unitarian Universalist minister. Most will never forget Bill's legendary 1986 "appropriation" of the newly hung (John) Poindexter Street sign from his hometown of Odon, IN, an act of civil disobedience against the Reagan Administration that made national news (and a documentary shown on PBS) .

Also speaking was Fran Quigley, executive director of the Indiana Civil Liberties Union , the legal organization that has filed three lawsuits in recent months against the Indianapolis Police Department for First and Fourth Amendment rights abuses of local protesters during last summer's National Governor's Association conference in Indy. Quigley is expected to speak on the recent "state of emergency" declared by the governor of Georgia to try to keep protesters from voicing their dissent at the G-8 protests there this week, the upcoming travel blockades around Boston for the Democratic Convention in July. and the denial of permits for protestors at NYC's Republican Convention in August.

Bret Eartheart, international peace activist from Bloomington who has traveled to East Timor, Palestine and Iraq. He was the media liaison for the Iraq Peace Team in Baghdad during January and February of last year just before the war began.

David Hoppe, progressive news reporter and NUVO columnist spoke on the war in Iraq.

Other speakers included Sheila Rosenthal, longtime Lafayette activist representing the Indiana Peace and Justice Network (IPJN); Joe Farah, Indiana Vets for Peace director; Jason Jones, Fishers Middle East activist who has traveled to the Middle East and is a strong opponent of the war on Iraq ; Joanne Lingle, Indianapolis, Christian Peace Team (CPT) activist with extensive experience in the Middle East; Harold Donle, Vietnam veteran and communications professor at IUPUI; Michael Gradison, former executive director of the ICLU; Mary Mitchell, professor of law at IUPUI; Henry Gerner, president of Christians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East ; Keni Washington, IPJC liaison to the UN, jazz musician and outspoken critic of the Bush administration.

Jim Wolfe from the Common Bonds Voter Project registered voters and signed up volunteers to register voters at festivals and door-to-door on Sept. 11.

Entertainers included Dot Hathaway , Indianapolis, folk/antiwar singer and guitarist; Jeannette Castillo , Bloomington, topical singer and political song parodist; Kurt Johnson , McCordsville, and J. L. Kato , Indianapolis, Indy Poets Against the War in Iraq; and Jeff Matheus, Indianapolis poet.

Castillo opened the rally by singing the stirring Pledge of Resistance song, "Not in Our Name."

This IPAC-organized rally was co-sponsored by the Indianapolis Peace and Justice Center and Christians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East . It was endorsed by organizations including the Indiana Peace and Justice Network; Iraq Pledge of Resistance; Vets for Peace/Indiana; Indianapolis Peace Action Coalition; SOA Watch of Central Indiana; Indiana Club/CPUSA; Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) of Hamilton County; Poets Against the War in Iraq; American Vets Against the War; Living Wage Coalition; IndyAccess; Indianapolis Labor Church; Indiana Kucinich for President organization; Marion County Green Party, and Democratic Socialists Alliance.

Individual endorsers include Kurt Johnson; J.L. Kato; Jeff Matheus; Mary Mitchell, George Holland, USAF-NATO Antiwar Veteran; Carol Korreck, Jeannette Castillo; Larry Lindley; Melissa O'Rourke Merida, and Skywolf.

IPAC thanks organizers Cate Woods-Russo, Bob Baldwin, Dee Lichtenberger, and to Lois Sprague, Patrick O'Hara, Kurt Johnson, Chris Rahe, Timothy Baer, Dot Hathaway and Jeanette Castillo for their help and support.

IPAC also extends special thanks and best wishes to Ron and Jane Haldeman for their many, many years of unwavering commitment to peace through the Indianapolis Peace and Justice Center.

Additional Coverage:

"Change is Gonna Do Us Good," by Thomas P. Healy
Bloomington Alternative

"Indy protestors join national rally," by Becky Oberg
Nuvo