Friday, June 20th 6:30 AM - 8:30 AM Caltrain/BART Stations | Leaflet at Caltrain and BART stations from San Carlos north. We hand out Iraq Moratorium black ribbons and informational leaflets to morning commuters. It's a chance to make real person-to-person connections. We're finding that most people are grateful for the opportunity to talk about how they want the troops to come home. |
| Friday, June 20th Morning Jeppesen Dataplan HQ 225 W. Santa Clara St. San Jose | Iraq Moratorium: March and Picket to Stop Torture
Stop torture! End the torture flights! Take part in this march, picket, and press conference at Jeppesen headquarters. This month's Iraq Moratorium action honors the upcoming International Day in Support of the Victims of Torture.
Jeppesen Dataplan is a San Jose company that profits from illegal kidnappings and torture. The company handles the logistics for the CIA's so-called "extraordinary rendition" flights -- torture flights.
Take the Anti-Torture Train - Board Caltrain #138; get on at the first car. Partial train schedule: 10:31 a.m. - Millbrae || 10:38 a.m. - San Mateo || 10:55 a.m. - Redwood City || 11:03 a.m. - Palo Alto || 11:38 a.m. - San José Diridon. 11:40 a.m. - March from San Jose Caltrain station to Jeppesen headquarters. Non-marchers can take the VTA Downtown Area Shuttle #201 from the Caltrain station to Jeppesen.
12:00 noon - Informational picket and press conference outside Jeppesen HQ.
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Every Thurs. afternoon 4:00-6:00 PM 4th Ave & El Camino Real, San Mateo | "Fasting for Peace on Thursdays" Join Declaration of Peace members who are fasting on Thursdays for the cause of peace. Help hold the banner and wave peaceful greetings to passersby. To read a moving reflection on what can happen in this kind of vigil, click here. |
Past Events
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| Saturday, May 24th 3:00 PM Food Court, Hillsdale Shopping Center, San Mateo | "Mall Walk for Peace" On the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, what better way to honor the sacrifices of the Iraq war dead and their families than to show your support for bringing the troops home? Join the "Troops Home Now" mall walk in a reprise of last December's holiday stroll. We'll gather at 3:00 pm in the food court (opposite the inside entrance to Cost Plus), cruise the mall, and maybe have an early dinner (or a late lunch beforehand). Wear the "Troops Home Now" t-shirt if you have one. We'll have a few for sale for $5, or you can just borrow one for the occasion. San Mateo Peace Action will suspend its usual Saturday afternoon picket and will join us for this event. |
Friday, May 16th 6:30 AM - 8:30 AM Caltrain/BART Stations | We continued our monthly actions at Caltrain and BART stations, handing out Iraq Moratorium black ribbons and informational leaflets to morning commuters. This month we reached commuters at Belmont, Hillsdale and Millbrae. |
Saturday, May 10th 7:00 PM College Heights Church 1150 W. Hillsdale Blvd., San Mateo | Mother's Day Peace Concert Did you know that the original purpose of Mother's Day was a call for an end to war? We celebrated with the Atkinson Kincheloe Band and their music of peace and social justice, plus these special guests: * The Raging Grannies, with MC Shahid * Aswat: Bay Area Arab Ensemble * Michael Vincent * Crystal Springs Upland School Peace Club * Peter S. Beagle, reading the original Mother's Day proclamation We raised over $600 for the Middle East Children's Alliance and enjoyed a wonderful evening of live music and spoken word. Go to the Photos page to see lots of images, and for more, visit www.raginggrannies.org and click on the blog icon. Eternal thanks to Lisa Atkinson for producing this spectacular evening!! |
| Thursday, May 1st 7:30 PM St. Catherine of Siena Church 1310 Bayswater Ave., Burlingame | "The Nonviolent Alternative to the Perpetual War on Terrorism" - A presentation by Fr. Louis Vitale, recently returned from a five-month prison term for his anti-torture witness. About ninety gathered to hear his reflections, and to celebrate his birthday a month early. Go here for some photos, courtesy of Catholic San Francisco. |
| Friday, March 21st 7:00 AM - 10:00 AM Vasco Road and Patterson Pass Road, Livermore | Good Friday Service and Nuclear Weapons Protest - "Embracing the Beloved Community, Rejecting the Violence of Empire" - Annual Good Friday action to protest nuclear weapons development at Livermore Nuclear Weapons Laboratory. Fr. Louie was to have addressed us in person. Instead, we heard from him via cell phone from a hospital bed, where he was resting from a broken shoulder. Click here for a news report of this event. |
| Friday, March 21st 7:00 AM - 9:00 AM Caltrain Stations | Our intrepid leafleters continued their monthly actions at the Belmont and San Mateo Caltrain stations, handing out Iraq Moratorium black ribbons and informational leaflets to morning commuters. We've distributed nearly 6,000 of these items along the Peninsula so far! |
| Saturday, March 15th Noon - 3:00 PM Palo Alto City Hall 250 Hamilton Avenue | Peace Rally and Concert - End the War! On the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, we rallied for peace, to bring the troops home, and to end the suffering and destruction caused by war. |
Friday, February 15th Noon - 1 PM New Military Recruiting Center
El Camino Real and Grant Road (Hwy 237)
Mountain View | Counter Military Recruitment - Picket and Protest Peninsula-South Bay combined Moratorium action at the recruitment stations in Mountain View. We brought signs with messages of peace and stood on the corners of the busy intersection. We were greeted with honks and thumbs-up from passersby, and we even mingled with a few picketers with opposite views. Check out the photos here. |
Friday, February 15th 7:00 - 9:00 AM, Caltrain and BART stations | Celebrate Valentine's Day: Help Stop the War In the continuing series of actions as part of the Iraq Moratorium, we began the day with leafleting at Caltrain and BART stations along the Peninsula. For the fifth month, we leafleted morning commuters at Peninsula Caltrain and BART stations. Our teams at Belmont, Hillsdale, and Millbrae handed out nearly 1,000 black ribbons and leaflets! |
Friday, January 18th 6:00 - 8:00 PM West Hillsdale Blvd. at Laurelwood Shopping Center (Just east of Rt. 92), San Mateo | Honor Dr. King's Vision: End the War - A Candlelight Vigil A cold night, but clear and calm, so our candles stayed lit and our message was well received. One man was so impressed that he made a special stop to leave us his contact information for when we do another vigil like this. |
Friday, December 21, 6:00 - 9:00 PM Hillsdale Shopping Center, San Mateo | Iraq Moratorium Action This monthly action for the Iraq Moratorium (www.iraqmoratorium.org) was a "Holiday Stroll for Peace." We donned identical t-shirts emblazoned with the words "Troops Home Now" and spent a leisurely evening at Hillsdale Shopping Center. Joining us in their own distinctive garb were several members of the Peninsula Raging Grannies. (Click here for photos.) Similar actions took place at Stanford Shopping Center and at San Jose's "Christmas in the Park."
After a sumptuous dining experience at the California Pizza Kitchen, we strolled through the mall in small groups, stopping to chat as shoppers approached us. Some of us even did our own last-minute holiday shopping!
Overall, the response to our presence was positive and supportive. There were thumbs up and peace signs, and expressions like "I'm glad you're doing this -- thank you." A few people wanted to know if we support the troops. In our group we all replied, "Absolutely we support them, and we want them to come home to their families and to get on with their lives." This seemed to allay the concerns.
Also strolling in the mall were a few Marine recruiters in full dress uniform. Two of our own peace activists, Ashleigh Evans and Greg World of San Mateo County Democracy for America, had quite an exchange with the young men. Here's Ashleigh's description:
"Near the end of the evening, my walking partner, Greg World, and I were approached by a couple of Marine recruiters, who wanted to ask why we don't support the troops. They were very gung-ho, but not at all rude or nasty. We think we convinced them that we do support the troops -- the difference is that we want them here instead of there.
"Our views were 180 degrees from theirs about everything, of course. An example: they think the lesson learned in Vietnam is that Americans should support the war effort 100%; we think the lesson learned in Vietnam was that we shouldn't go into wars like that. Another example: they think embedding journalists with the troops means that we're only getting the "bad" news at home; we think that embedded media means that we're getting a laundered version of the news.
"It was a civil conversation, lasting maybe 15 minutes, and Greg and I finally parted company with the Marines with handshakes all around."
Ashleigh and Greg found a way to engage in dialogue with those with whom they do not agree. What a model for future interactions! Thanks to them, and to all who took part in this nonviolent witness for peace.
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Friday, November 23, 10:00 AM - Noon, and Sundays in December, 1:00 - 2:00 PM Corner of Hillsdale Blvd and El Camino Real, San Mateo | The day after Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year. As an alternative to "Mall Mania," we gathered to "Declare Peace on Earth" with holiday cards and Iraq Moratorium information. We continued this action on Sunday afternoons in December. |
| Friday, Nov. 16, 6:30-8:00 AM, and 8:00-9:30 AM | Iraq Moratorium Action - We leafletted morning commuters at Millbrae BART/Caltrain/SamTrans transit station, also at San Mateo and Belmont Caltrain stations. |
| Friday, Nov. 16, from 10:30 AM on | Iraq Moratorium Action - We boarded the "Peace Train" to San Jose for a march and rally to oppose torture. See here for details, and here for photos of the action. |
| Friday, Oct. 19, 7 - 8 AM | Iraq Moratorium Action - We leafletted at Hillsdale, San Mateo, Burlingame, and San Bruno CalTrain stations. We handed out 435 Moratorium flyers and black ribbons, along with info sheets on opposing an attack on Iran. |
Friday, Sept. 21 6:30 PM San Mateo Central Park, 5th Ave & San Mateo Dr | "We the People Declare Peace" was a peaceful candlelight vigil and march to mark the International Day of Peace. About 120 people turned out to show their support for an end to the occupation of Iraq. Here's how Ashleigh Evans of San Mateo County Democracy for America recapped it: "It was a wonderful, sadly sweet, balmy evening, punctuated at the end by some very dramatic lightning. The Raging Grannies led us in song; names of California dead and some Iraqi children were read; we marched through the streets of downtown San Mateo to the cheers of onlookers and much honking of horns; then we were entertained in Central Park by the wonderful music of Atkinson Kincheloe. There was a large contingent from the Crystal Springs Uplands School Peace Club [and the Aragon High School Peace Club] -- it was wonderful to see all those young faces." For photos (with thanks to Granny Ruth and John St. Peter), click here. |
Saturday, Sept. 15 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Location: College Heights Church, 1150 W. Hillsdale Blvd, San Mateo | "Creating Nonviolent Actions for Peace" A workshop on nonviolence, facilitated by staff of Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service, providing a focused learning and training experience in the principles and tools of nonviolent action. Click here for photos. |
May 29, 2007 7:30 PM Transfiguration Episcopal Church 3900 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo | "Torture on Trial" The Declaration of Peace-San Mateo County and Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service hosted a talk by Fr. Louis Vitale. Fr. Louie is an Action Advocate for Pace e Bene; a co-founder of the Nevada Desert Experience; and an SOA Watch prisoner of conscience. He will stand trial on October 17 in Tucson for nonviolent action at Ft. Huachuca while attempting to speak with enlisted personnel and give a letter condemning torture to the post commander. Louie spoke about the U.S. role in torture, Fort Huachuca and U.S. interrogation tactics, the Military Commissions Act of 2006, the School of the Americas, and the upcoming trial. Visit www.tortureontrial.org for more information. |