DC Anti-War Network

The DC Anti-War Network (DAWN) was a grassroots non-hierarchical anti-war organization formed after the September 11, 2001 attacks which ceased meeting in the fall of 2007. The network resulted from a series of protests and ad-hoc activist meetings prior to the invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001. The group toyed with several names, such as the D.C. League Against the War (DCLAW) proposed by author and activist Dave Zirin, before settling on DC Anti-war Network or "DAWN".

The group's points of unity included: opposition to using 9/11 victims to perpetuate the War on Terrorism, to all forms of national, racial, economic or religious violence and bigotry, and torture, as well as demands for an end to war and occupation as a foreign policy and repeal of the Patriot Act. It sought global peace through economic and social means, and a world of ethnic, racial, and religious tolerance."

DAWN had no official leaders and its meetings were open to those who agreed with its points of unity. Those who attended to DAWN's weekly meetings or actions were called participants.

History

2001-2004

DAWN activists organized and participated in dozens of protests, vigils, forums, and other events. These included several large protests of the Iraq War organized by United for Peace and Justice, as well as International ANSWER, in DC and New York; local events at the anniversaries of the Iraq War and at significant milestones in the war; numerous anti-torture protests; protests against administration figures like Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle; and protests at President George W. Bush State of the Union addresses.

DAWN participants organized against the 2004 Republican and Democratic national conventions. DAWN's October 23, 2004 coffin memorial at the Lincoln Memorial honoring American and Iraqi Victims of War with 1,100 coffins got national publicity.

DAWN also organized with School of the Americas Watch, and sponsored several counter-recruitment forums and protests. It endorsed and participated in several protests against the Israeli Occupation of Palestine and aggression against Palestinians. DAWN led early local protests of the pro-war machinations of neoconservatives and American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). It was one of the earliest Washington, D.C. area groups working in opposition to war against Iran by the U.S. or Israel.

2005

One of DAWN's largest actions was part of the January 20, 2005 counter-inaugural protest, [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9136-2004Dec17.html Activists Allege Effort to Limit Inaugural Route Access] , (December 2004); [http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/0119-09.htm Common Dreams Dawn Announcement of January 20, 2005 Protest] ;] where participants staged two separate events, both meeting at Malcolm X Park: a rally and march to McPherson Square, and a civil disobedience die-in, which marched to Lafayette Park and then laid in the street. [“Demonstrators make it loud and clear: polarization trails Bush into second term,” TurkishPress.Com, (January 22, 2005); [http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/5419/ Few Arrested As Protesters Stage Die-Ins, Build Coffins and Share Opinions] , (January 21, 2005); cite web |url= http://www.newshounds.us/2005/01/19/dc_antiwar_network_freepers.php|title=DC Anti-War Network and Freepers |accessdate= |month= January | year= 2005 |work= ] The DAWN-initiated January 21, 2005 [http://stopthewarnow.net/protests/marchonneocons-01-05.html "March on the Neocons"] featured 50 protesters marching on six downtown Washington, DC neoconservative headquarters. [cite web |url=http://www.adl.org/main_israel/anti-israel-protests_2005.asp |title=Anti-defamation League Report Anti-Israel Protests-2005 |accessdate=|format= |work= ]

On February 9, 2005 three DAWN participants were arrested during an anti-torture protest [ [http://www.schuminweb.com/schumin-web/photography/2005/confirmation.php] ] on the day after Alberto Gonzales confirmation as the Attorney General. In May DAWN sponsored its first protest against the AIPAC annual conference, which included speakers like the International Solidarity Movement's Huwaida Arraf and E. Faye Williams of the Council for the National Interest. [William Hughes, [http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/15099/ Sharon Gets Hostile Reception in D.C.] , (May, 2005)]

DAWN was instrumental in gathering activists to encourage UFPJ and ANSWER to work together in the September 2005 anti-war mobilization through a Unity Meeting. [ [http://www.dawndc.net/float.php?annc_id=184&section_id=2] [ [http://peacecenter.blogspot.com/2005/06/unity-meeting-comments.html] The two national coalitions united briefly. However, the groups had major disagreements, and parted ways soon after. [ [http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=3162] ]

The six-hour long Operation Ceasefire concert during the mobilization was partially organized and promoted by DAWN participants. Some DAWN regulars also played a role in organizing and participating in the massive act of nonviolent civil resistance at the White House. [BBC News, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4284684.stm US anti-war mother held at rally] , (Sept., 2005)]

2006

In early to mid-2006, DAWN's Weekly Action Group ("WAG") focused on having weekly actions emphasizing connections between militarism in the United States and other related issues. Protests were staged at the home of former United States Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, who promoted the Iraq war and repeatedly at the home of John Negroponte, then Director of National Intelligence and former U.S. Ambassador to Honduras, the United Nations, and Iraq.

In March 2006, a small number of DAWN participants were among the first protesters to interrupt Congressional hearings on funding the war and occupation of Iraq. [ Australian Broadcasting Corporation, [http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2006/s1589195.htm "Rumsfeld, Rice grilled over cost of Iraq war"] , (March, 2006)]

In the spring and summer of 2006, DAWN initiated another protest at the annual AIPAC convention; a protest at a March House Appropriations Committee meeting on war funding; an April forum about the Stephen Walt-John Mearsheimer "Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy" paper; a protest at Representative James Sensenbrenner's home in solidarity with immigrants; a June 6 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcWApfiNEgk "6-6-6 No Armageddon For Bush"] rally and exorcism of the White House; a July protest of pro-war-with-Iran Christians United for Israel lobby group; an August 9th Nagasaki Day nuclear policy and war forum at the U.S. Congress which was shown on C-SPAN; an August 30 protest of the Washington Post over alleged war profiteering; a satirical Halloween "United We Suck" White House action; and a December Christmas carol protest of the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony which is dedicated to peace.

DAWN also endorsed, and members worked on, other groups' actions like a protest of the Gridiron Club Annual Dinner; the 25th Anniversary celebration of the 24 Hour "Peace Park" Vigil at Lafayette Square in June; anti-torture vigils and protests at the White House and the U.S. Senate; and protests against Israel's attack on Lebanon [ [http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=11848 American Chronicle: Israel’s Barbarism in Lebanon/Gaza Protested] , (July, 2006)] and ongoing siege of Gaza.

In the fall of 2006, DAWN activists organized and participated in the two week encampment [http://campdemocracy.org/ Camp Democracy] held on the National Mall; [http://www.iraqpledge.org/ the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance] and [http://declarationofpeace.org/ Declaration of Peace] September 26 and 27 nonviolent civil disobedience actions at the U.S. House and Senate; the October 17 [http://www.wrrcat.org Washington Region Religious Coalition Against Torture] protest and civil disobedience at the White House as President George W. Bush signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006; and the November Election-related Gold Star Families for Peace actions.

2007

In 2006, DAWN had voted to stop paying dues to UFPJ "forever." [CNSNews, [http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewSpecialReports.asp?Page=/SpecialReports/archive/200603/SPE200603 Anti-War Movement Casualty of In-Fighting] , (March, 2006)] That decision was reversed in March 2007.

Members participated in a protest at Arlington Memorial Bridge marking 3,000 U.S. soldier deaths; forums on a potential military attack against Iran and the government's policy of extraordinary rendition and use of torture; DAWN's largest [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hAXEr8AfT0 protest of AIPAC's annual conference] ; and anti-torture rallies and vigils, such as one organized by [http://www.tassc.org/ the Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition] .

In fall of 2007 DAWN ceased meeting, without formally dissolving. Its web site also was taken down.

See also

* Anti-war
* Iraq War
* Protests against the invasion of Iraq
* Opposition to war against Iran
* Occupation of Palestine
* Consensus democracy
* Participatory democracy
* Spokescouncil
* Counter-recruitment
* Civil disobedience
* Tax resistance

References

External links

* [http://web.archive.org/web/20071027132054/http://www.dawndc.net/ October 2007 DAWN web site from Archive.org]
* [http://www.schuminweb.com/schumin-web/photography/2005/confirmation.php The Schumin Web: Confirmation Demonstration] DAWN event in front of the Supreme Court Building
* [http://www.schuminweb.com/schumin-web/life-and-times/2006/no-armageddon-1.php The Schumin Web: No Armageddon For Bush] DAWN event in front of the White House