Topic: United for Peace and Justice

Jonesborough prepares regional protest

By Chris Lugo | October 24, 2007 |

On October 27th, First Tennessee Progressives is hosting one of ten regional peace rallies around the United States being supported by the nation’s largest national peace coalition, United for Peace and Justice. UFPJ is sponsoring Oct. 27 events in southeastern United States and is fully committed to supporting the Jonesborough, TN, anti-depleted uranium munitions action, according to Georgette Friday, UFPJ national staff person helping coordinate the southern strategies.

The UFPJ support helps put an additional national spotlight on what many consider the Agent Orange of this generation of wars, with depleted uranium munitions used in Iraq and the Gulf region, in the Balkans during the Clinton administration, likely in Afghanistan, and possibly in Lebanon. The munitions have been widely tested throughout the U.S. mainland, in Hawaii, and in the Puerto Rican island of Vieques as well, leaving radioactive and toxic contamination in all testing and manufacturing regions, with little cleanup effort underway except in a couple of areas identified as Superfund sites.

Linda Modica, lead Tennessee coordinator, Angela Helwig of Georgia Peace & Justice and Chris Lugo of the Nashville Peace Coalition outlined what plans have been put in place thus far, including a rally in downtown Jonesborough, a march to and musical presence at Aerojet Ordnance - remaining U.S.producer of DU weapons cores, music and speakers in Jonesborough itself, and efforts to mobilize support. «Read the rest of this article»

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