Union-printed copies of most of these materials can be picked up at the office of the 8th Day Center for Justice, 205 W. Monroe Street, 5th floor on weekdays during normal business hours (wheelchair accessible).

The central demand of the October 8th march is:
U.S./NATO Out of Afghanistan NOW!

The event will begin with a short rally at 12 noon, Saturday, October 8th at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Congress Parkway, followed by the march.

Why the march on the Obama’s national campaign headquarters?

President Obama’s troop “surge” into Afghanistan has led to the highest number of deaths since the war began – while polls show that most Afghanis and most Americans want the U.S. to leave. American troops in Afghanistan and 130+ countries around the globe are not “defending our freedom” – they are shoring up a declining empire.

Meanwhile, the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and beyond are bankrupting us. We spend as much on the military as the rest of the world combined – 67% of the federal budget, nearly double what we spent before 9/11.

Because the U.S. spends on war instead of vital services, our education, healthcare and public transportation systems are far worse than most other industrialized countries – yet we are told to blame public workers and immigrants for the lack of decent jobs and social services. While bailouts and tax breaks for the rich and their corporations remained untouched, we are told ordinarily Americans must accept reductions in Social Security and Medicare.

President Obama came into office promising “hope” and “change.” Instead of promoting peace and democracy, he’s escalated the wars in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, thumbed his nose at the Constitution to bomb Libya, supported Israeli attacks on the Palestinians, and backed the Saudi dictatorship as it sent tanks to crush the democracy movement in Bahrain. He‘s used the pretext of the “global war on terror” to escalate Bush’s policies of deporting undocumented immigrants, assassinating people abroad, and using the FBI and courts to stifle dissent at home.

More information about the march can be found at the Chicago Mass Action website. Follow us on Twitter at @MidwestAntiwar Help organize for the protest by joining the Facebook event and inviting your Facebook friends.

Here is a list of the currently endorsing organizations:

8th Day Center for Justice

Albany Park, North Park, Mayfair Neighbors for Peace and Justice

American Friends Service Committee

American Muslims for Palestine

Bloomington-Normal Citizens for Peace and Justice

Chicago Area CodePINK

Chicago Area Peace Action (CAPA)

Chicago Coalition Against War & Racism

Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights

Chicago Democratic Socialists of America

Chicago Socialist Party

Chicago World Can't Wait

Comité Anti-Militarización (CAMI)

Communities United Against Foreclosures and Evictions

Cook County Green Party

DeKalb Interfaith Network for Peace and Justice

DuPage County Green Party

End the Occupation, Northern Illinois

Freedom Road Socialist Organization

Gay Liberation Network

Hammerhard Media Works

Indiana Peace and Justice Network

International Socialist Organization

La Voz de los de Abajo

Labor Beat / Labor Express

Lafayette Area Peace Coalition

Logan Square Neighbors for Justice and Peace

March 19th Anti-War Coalition

Minnesota Peace Action Coalition

Near West Citizens for Peace & Justice

Neighbors For Peace

Nicaragua Solidarity Network

North Shore Coalition for Peace, Justice and the Environment

Northwest Ohio Peace Coalition

Northwest Suburban Peace & Education Project

Palestine Solidarity Group - Chicago

Progressive Peace Coalition, Columbus, Ohio

Students For a Democratic Society — UIC Chapter

U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)-Chicago Chapter

Veterans For Peace

Voices For Creative Nonviolence

Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ

West Side Greens

Downloadable posters, handbills and stickers are available here: