STOP the escalation of war in the Middle East
STOP refinancing troops in Afghanistan without a clear exit plan,

July 17 2006 in Rome, Italy

July 17th at 8 pm we are asking you to participate in the emergency candlelight march from piazza San Marco (right off piazza Venezia) to the Colosseum, organized these last few days by various Italian peace movements to say NO to all acts of agression/retaliation in the Middle East. Meeting point: corner of piazza San Marco and the Palazzo Venezia (the building with the balcony that Mussolini spoke from).

The situation, as you know, has become very serious! The current raids on Lebanon, if unchecked, could lead to all-out war, spreading to Israeli attacks on Iran, Iranian retaliation, and thus the involvement of U.S. troops by treaty agreement in an ever-widening spiral of violence. We have to stop it before it escalates... NOW! [see the flyer distributed at the march]

In addition, if you can make it before the march at 6 pm, we are inviting you to join the sit-in in front of the Parliament (piazza Montecitorio) while the bill to refinance Italian troops in Afghanistan is being discussed. This is in support of those Italian pacifists who want a clearly defined exit strategy from Afghanistan to be added to the package financing troops for 6 more months. Let's join them in calling for DE-ESCALATION! Meeting point: in piazza Montecitorio, in front of the Herder Book Store. (The walk from Montecitorio to piazza San Marco is not even 10 minutes.)