FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 6, 2005

CONTACT: Morrigan Phillips 202-258-1822
Ryan Fletcher 202-641-0277

Bring Them Home Now Tour Stops in Chicago
Gold Star and Military Families, Iraq War and other Vets Travel Country, To Converge at Anti-War Rally in DC on September 24

CHICAGO, IL – On September 6th-8th, the Bring Them Home Now Tour will stop in Chicago, IL carrying a delegation of military and Gold Star families, veterans of the Iraq war and veterans of previous wars who will speak from first hand experience about the devastating effects of the war. The delegation will participate in several events around Chicago between September 6th-8th.

Tuesday, Sept. 6
3:15 PM: Senn Academy 5900 N. Glenwood, Chicago –The tour and supporters will meet in front of school
7:00-9:00PM: Interfaith Candlelight Peace Vigil at Camp Casey -- North Unitarian Universalist Church of Evanston, 1330 Ridge

Wednesday, Sept. 7
10 AM: Visit Congressman Rahm Emmanuel's office, 3742 W. Irving Park
3:00 PM Cindy Sheehan, other Military, Gold Star Families and Veterans will visit Congressman Dennis Hastert’s Office, 27 N. River St., Batavia, IL
7:00 PM Peace Vigil Wheaton, IL

Thursday, Sept. 8
10:00 AM: Visit to Congressman Mark Kirk's office, 102 Wilmot Rd., Suite 200, Deerfield, IL
11:30 AM: Memorial Event at Eyes Wide Open - The Human Cost of War, St. John's and Central Aves., Highland Park, IL

Cindy Sheehan, co-founder of Gold Star Families for Peace, explained from her camp outside Bush’s Ranch, where she maintained a vigil throughout August requesting a meeting with the President, “The tour will amplify the voice of Gold Star families, who show the devastating human cost of this war; the voice of military families, for whom each and every day that this war continues brings the potential for the most devastating of consequences; and the voice of veterans, who can share the ground truth about war and the impact on those who were sent off to fight it.”

“Over the course of the tour, members of the sponsoring organizations are reaching out to military families, veterans, and concerned citizens in cities and towns in the heartland, the north, and the south. The tour will spread the truth about the war in Iraq, mobilize people to Washington, D.C. for September 24-26 and ask Congressional decision-makers the hard questions Cindy has asked President Bush and to learn what our elected representatives are doing to bring this war to an end.” said Jimmy Massey of Iraq Veterans Against the War.

The three bus tour, covering forty-two cities in twenty-six states launched from Camp Casey outside George Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas, where Cindy Sheehan, other Gold Star and military families, Iraq War and other veterans held a nearly month long vigil requesting a meeting with the President. The tour will travel different routes across the country, converging in Washington, DC on September 21, to join the mass mobilization against the Iraq War that will occur September 24-26.

The Bring Them Home Now Tour is sponsored by Gold Star Families for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, and Veterans For Peace. For further information on the tour including a schedule of cities and dates, go to: www.bringthemhomenowtour.org

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