Features

Peace Notes: Beach Impeach Project Planned for Weekend

By Judith Scherr
Friday October 05, 2007

I-M-P-E-A-C-H-! will be spelled out at the Berkeley Marina Sunday, thanks to the efforts of Brad Newsham and some 1,500 others. 

When Newsham, 56, was a young man in 1974, he stood outside the White House as Richard Nixon got into the helicopter for his last official ride, having resigned under pressure of impeachment. 

Newsham told the Daily Planet he wants to see that scene repeated with the impeachment of George Bush and Dick Cheney. He has become one of the forces in the impeachment movement—to which he’s added a California twist he calls Beach Impeach. 

There’s been three Bay Area Beach Impeach events so far, during which more than 1,000 people lay their bodies down to spell out “I-M-P-E-A-C-H-!”  

Sunday’s event is set for 11 a.m. at Cesar Chavez Park. Volunteers can show up at 7 a.m. to help lay out the outlines of the letters in string, Newsham said.  

Most people come as individuals but some groups have adopted letters for Sunday’s event. The Green Party has asked people to wear green and will fill the letter “I;” Code Pink has taken “C” and is asking supporters to wear pink; The World Can’t Wait, dressed in “Guantanamo orange” according to Newsham, will fill in the exclamation point. 

Among the notables planning to be at the event are former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, the first member of the House of Representatives to file impeachment proceedings, and peace activist Cindy Sheehan. 

Two helicopters will photograph the event at noon. The World Can’t Wait  

is auctioning off one seat on one of the  

helicopters. See: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/ 

eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200157884385. 

 

Run For Peace 

The Berkeley Marina is going to be a busy place Sunday. Before the Beach Impeach event, United Nations supporters are gathering there at 9 a.m. for the “Run for Peace,” sponsored by the East Bay United Nations Association. Councilmember Linda Maio will be giving out prizes at that event. For more information, visit www.run4peace.org. 

 

Run Cynthia Run 

Local Green Party members say they believe Cynthia McKinney will announce that she is a candidate for the Green Party nomination for president on Thursday night at an event in West Oakland (after the Daily Planet’s deadline).  

McKinney is slated to speak tonight (Friday) in Berkeley beginning at 6 p.m. at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. and will also be present at the Beach Impeach event Sunday. 

“I hope she says she will actually run for the party’s nomination,” John Morton of the Green Party told the Daily Planet Thursday morning. Morton, who lives in Oakland, said he supports McKinney personally “because there’s a war going on and most the people in America do not want to continue the war.” 

While the president and the “obedient congress” run the war, “How can we sit by and not offer another option?” Morton asked. 

 

Haiti 

A Bay Area delegation to Haiti will report on the current political situation there, including the role of the United Nations military, which they say is occupying the country. The event is 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7 at the Epworth United Methodist Church, 1953 Hopkins St., Berkeley. 

 

Burma 

On Monday Berkeley’s Peace and Justice Commission passed a resolution asking the City Council to urge “the government of Myanmar/Burma to immediately cease the use of violence in suppression of nonviolent protests by its citizens, cease the detention of political prisoners and release those currently held, restore communications within and outside of the country … and enter into sincere negotiations with leaders of the movement for democracy and human rights in Burma/Myanmar.” 

There is a demonstration today at in San Francisco at 2 p.m. at the Chinese Consulate, 1450 Laguna St. urging the Chinese government “to step in and help resolve the situation peacefully,” according to a flyer publicizing the event. 

 

Watada on trial 

The U.S. Army announced Wednesday its intent to retry First Lt. Ehren Watada October 9 at Fort Lewis, Wash. Watada is the first military officer to publicly refuse deployment to Iraq. 

Watada’s first court-martial ended in a mistrial. 

“The court-martial of Lt. Ehren Watada is another incidence of erosion of the precious Bill of Rights, in this case, that of the soldier. He stood for us; and we must continue to stand with him,” said Watada’s father, Bob Watada, in a written statement. 

Members of the Asian-Pacific Islanders Resist/Watada Support Committee will travel to Ft. Lewis next week to support Watada. For more information call Betty Kano at 527-1401.