I'm a commander guy. -GWB



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GAS Notice #65- Bush visit
(4/25) We're in contact with a number of organizations in connection with Bush's appearance at Furman May 31. Furman security is tentatively planning on having a protest area on campus, we hope to get confirmation early next month. CodePink is working on a multi-state effort. Planning is ongoing with a group at Furman.


GAS Notice #64- Bush visit
(4/17) We've established a working liason with the Furman Director of Public Safety, they're going to call us when they know more about security arrangements for Bush's May 31 speech.


GAS Notice #63- Bush at Furman
(4/11) For those who haven't heard, Bush will be at Furman May 31 at 7:30PM to give the commencement speech, or at least his pidgin approximation of one, see President Bush to speak at Furman graduation. Thoughts on an appropriate response?

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We need to be there. In numbers. With candles....lots and lots and lots of candles.

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Finally a chance for an *in your face* demonstration.

Iraq War Year 5
Bergamo Square, March 16, 2008
3988 candles for the US dead, 750,000 beads for the Iraqi dead

Greenville News- Activists mark war's fifth anniversary
Daisy's Dead Air- BRING THEM HOME NOW!
photobucket- Greenville Antiwar Society Remembrance Event
photobucket- Greenville Antiwar Society Candle Lighting
Greenville News- The ongoing toll as seen by candlelight

GAS Notice #61- Year 5 Candle Lighting, post event
(3/16) Thanks to everybody who showed up and helped out. Thanks in particular to press person/Furman coordinator Annie Garrett, bead people Barb Keryan, Barb Taggart, and Trish, fire marshal Steve Rose, candle makers Shiela Jackson, Chris and Kim Lipp, Ann Cothran, Lisa Hall, and Connie McCollum, facebook coordinator Zebulon Lemon, Susan Oehler, AFSC person Doris Wilson, and everybody else I'm forgetting.

Send in pictures.

The bead structure has been loaned to the Asheville antiwar people for use at their upcoming Year 5 events.

The thinking for the next event is an informal afternoon in the park this summer, culminating in a candle lighting with the candles arranged perhaps in a spiral.

past events video



past events page

GAS notices

GAS Notice #60- Year 5 Candle Lighting, day of event
(3/16) We'll start unloading the candles at Bergamo Square at 7:15 this evening, we need to put candles in the new cups, check the old ones, and put them all in place by 8:00.

BRING LIGHTER STICKS, we currently have 36.

If you want to light candles DON'T WEAR A LOW HANGING SKIRT OR DRESS.

As with previous candle lightings, we aren't having any signs at the event, the media has a tendency to pick out and focus on the most controversial and divisive ones. The candles and the beads speak the message, and they speak it with a single voice.

Weather forecast is clear.

Total bead count approximately 750,000, total candle count 3988, last named fatality Juantrea T. Bradley.

GAS Notice #59- Year 5 Candle Lighting
(3/11) At 5 days to Year 5:
470 additional candles were made by volunteers Saturday and 760 new names attached. We're estimating 770 new candles for the event, in line with the Year 4 projection. 380 blanks are on hand for replacements.

Hard copy press releases were distributed to area media today.

Event weather is projected clear with a high of 63.

GAS Notice #58- Year 5
(3/7) At 9 days to Year 5:
We're making the final 480 candles tomorrow morning, we should have enough people to get the job done in 2-3 hours, email if you want to help. Steve has committed to bring donuts.

The bead structure currently has 610,000 beads, with another 200,000 being processed for hanging. We anticipate approximately 900,000 beads on the structure by the time of the event.

Year 5 flyers were posted at businesses in downtown Greenville today.

We have $83 on hand, which should cover expenses through Year 5.

#126 was added to the email list today.

And thanks to Zebulon Lemon for setting up the GAS Facebook group, 19 Facebookers have confirmed attending so far, with 31 possibles.

GAS Notice #57- Year 5
(3/1) At 15 days to Year 5:
640 candle assemblies were prepared and 50-100 bead strands processed today by volunteers, thanks to everybody who showed up and helped out. Team Barb has taken responsibility for bead strand processing, we expect to have between seven and nine hundred thousand beads on the tower for Year 5.

We need to schedule another work day to finish the remaining 480 candles, probably next weekend, email in preferences/availability.

We need flyering, a pdf file is available at the top of the website, www.greenvilleantiwarsociety.com. Everybody with a printer and a church/school/office/other public place to post flyers is encouraged to get Year 5 out there. We typically turn out more people in Bergamo Square than the Democratic or Republican parties probably could. An appreciable increase would get a message across.

GAS Notice #55- Rusul, Year 5
(2/22) At 23 days to Year 5:

Word was received today that Rusul has been accepted by Shriners Hospital and will hopefully arrive for treatment in April. It was hoped she could keep her leg, but it appears unlikely. They need core group volunteers, money, and fundraising ideas, details are on Rusul and Salee's page.

Candle making for Year 5 has been scheduled for Saturday, March 1 at 10 AM, anyone wanting to be added to the volunteer list contact admin.

Media coordinator Roxanne sent out the first Year 5 press release this week.

Soldier 4000 continues to track toward Year 5.

With 568 bead kits distributed to date, 54 remain available.

The position of Year 5 Flyer Czar remains open.

Notice #54- Year 5/Soldier 4000
(2/16) At 28 days to Year 5:

The permit application for Bergamo Square was submitted yesterday. The city is dropping the $25 fee this year, since the event is classified as a demonstration.

Tentative candle making dates are either Sunday, Feb. 24 or Saturday, March 1 at 10 AM. It looks like we have enough people to get the job done in a few hours, but we can always use more.

Ann Cothran of No More Victims will be speaking at Year 5 about her organization's efforts to bring war injured Iraqi children to the US for medical treatment. Their latest project, Rusul, is on the website.

Roxanne Walker is the media coordinator for Year 5. Big thanks to Roxanne.

We currently have 556,000 beads strung for the Iraqi dead. 290 bead kits are outstanding and 54 remain available for distribution. If you want your strands on the structure for Year 5, you need to get them in.

Whether Soldier 4000 will occur before or after Year 5 remains too close to predict.

A downloadable Year 5 flyer is available on the website, everyone is encouraged to print and distribute.


Notice #53- Year 5, Soldier 4000
(2/9) At 35 days to Year 5:

We'll be making 1200 new candles and rehabbing the old ones within the next few weeks, along with processing new bead strands, anyone interested in helping RSVP. Anticipated timeframe Saturday 10-2, maybe 3 or 4 depending.

We need people for-
- Media coordination
- Church outreach
contact admin@greenvilleantiwarsociety.com

A Year 5 flyer is available on the website for printing and public posting/distribution, the more the better.

Anybody with any thoughts on speakers vs. no speakers, send them in.

US military fatalities in Iraq currently appear to be escalating, five were killed yesterday. At 3959, whether Soldier 4000 will occur before or after Year 5 remains too close to call, though it's trending toward before. We'll probably fold it in.

We have 67 bead kits remaining for whoever wants one.

The Rusul and Salee page has been updated with news from Ann Cothran, fundraising is planned.

We have 50 copies of "Iraq for Sale" on DVD, courtesy Rochester Against War (RAW), anyone who would like one let us know.

We're adding a page to the website for local antiwar videos, submissions welcome.

Notice #52- Year 5, Soldier 4000
(1/21) At 3929 US military fatalities in Iraq, whether Soldier 4000 will occur before or after the Year 5 candle lighting on March 16 is at the moment too close to call. Anybody with any thoughts on this unanticipated and somewhat macabre scheduling situation, feel free to send them in. A downloadable pdf flyer for Year 5 has been posted on the website.

Twenty additional bead kits for the Iraqi dead were distributed today, 88 remain available. Contact admin if you would like one or more mailed to you.

And thanks to WNC Peace Coalition of Asheville for the 500 candles.


GAS Notice #50- Soldier 4000, funding drive
(11/10) The website was reconfigured today for the coming Soldier 4000 candle lighting, a downloadable flyer has been posted for distribution. With US military fatalities in Iraq at 3860, at the current fatality rate of 2 soldiers/day Soldier 4000 is now projected to occur in January. We need to make another 1000 candles and process new bead strands for hanging on the bead structure, anybody with any suggestions on time and place send them.

We're having a funding drive, our target is $250, to be used for candles, beads, cups, city fees, stamps, the website, and various other items for Soldier 4000 and the Year 5 candle lighting in March. A Paypal link has been put up on the website.

121 additional bead kits were assembled by volunteers Wednesday evening, all 500,000 beads in the recent shipment have now been incorporated into a total of 210 new kits. 89 kits are currently in work by Furman students under Furman coordinator Annie Garrett. Anyone wanting a kit or kits email us.

Salee now has a page on the website which we plan to keep updated with her progress, speaking of which Ann with Upstate Coalition of Compassion says Salee and Hussein are back with the family in Falluja, a lamb was sacrificed at their welcome home party. Cole is working on getting Salee's little sister Rusul here so Shriners can operate on her foot. And Salee's mom had a boy.


Notice #47- Soldier 4000, bead kits
(10/5) At 187 soldiers to go until 4000, the fatality rate in Iraq has decreased significantly the past couple of weeks. This may or may not be indicative of a pending offensive. Soldier 4000 should in any event occur by the end of the year. We'll be making 1000 more candles a week beforehand, notice will be sent out to distribution and posted on the website.

97 additional bead kits were assembled by volunteers Wednesday evening and are now ready for distribution.

Notice #46- Salee event,
Soldier 4000
(9/20) As a reminder, the Upstate Coalition for Compassion is holding a silent auction and banquet at Caesar's Restaurant on Monday the 24th for Salee and her family, see the UCC website for more information.

At 208 soldiers to go until 4000, the candle lighting is currently projected for late November. We’ll be making 1000 more candles in the park a week beforehand, notice will be sent out and posted.

500,000 more beads have been ordered for the ongoing bead project to mark Iraqi deaths. The recent publication of an independent study by ORB corroborating the Lancet estimate supports the target of one million we’re now using.

Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2007
To: admin@greenvilleantiwarsociety.com
This Iraq war is absorbing my heart and mind. My son is presently in Iraq. Keep up the grass root movement and Thank You for all you do!

Each of the Parties to the Treaty undertakes to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.