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Soldier 2000 Demonstration and Vigil, October 26


They say every candle lights the darkness.
We lit 2003 of them.


newspaper coverage:
Greenville News
Greenville News pictures
Greenville Journal
TheBeat
Soldier 2000: final update
10/27
Well it went OK, particularly the part where nobody caught fire. Channel 7 was there, along with the Greenville News and the Greenville Journal. We got a good write-up in the Greenville News this morning courtesy Jean Brooks, and eight pictures on their website, a number of which were good enough to appropriate. Will see if and what the Greenville Journal prints.

The event has pushed site traffic comparatively off the scale the last few days, so that's good.

Got a call from a Vietnam vet a couple of hours ago, he'd seen us on TV and wanted to be kept informed about the next event. Speaking of which, the most obvious next date seems the third anniversary of the start of the war, March 19 (a Sunday). We may be able to marshal a significant vet turnout by then. The fatality count should be around 2400. As for ideas, I'm receptive to anything with not very many more potential failure paths than using untrained though talented volunteers to place and light 2003 ignition sources on the side of a busy city street at night, which I expect includes most anything reasonably within the legal code.

The candles have about 4 hours and 45 minutes burn time remaining.

October 31, 2005
The Greenville Antiwar Society
15 Gallivan St.
Greenville, SC 29609
www.greenvilleantiwarsociety.com

Congressman Bob Inglis
Senator Lindsey Graham
Senator Jim DeMint

Re: Soldier 2000 demonstration and vigil, Year 3 demonstration and vigil

Congressman and Senators:
The Greenville Antiwar Society is sending you this notice of our Soldier 2000 demonstration and vigil, as part of an ongoing effort to make you sufficiently concerned about the political consequences of the Iraq war to pursue its prompt termination.

On October 26, we held a demonstration and candlelight vigil at the Greenville federal building to mark the 2000th US military fatality in Iraq. 2002 candles, each bearing the name of a dead soldier, were lit. The ongoing civilian toll of the war, while not a significant political consideration, was nonetheless recognized by a single candle, our organization lacking both the names of all the civilian dead and the resources to make and place a candle for each. The Greenville News, the Greenville Journal, TheBeat, and Channel 7 covered the event. Approximately sixty people participated. See attached photos. Further details may be found at:
www.greenvilleantiwarsociety.com.

Our next scheduled event is a demonstration and vigil marking the 3rd anniversary of the war. Four hundred additional candles are due to be assembled shortly. As we have run out of sidewalk in front of the Greenville federal building, the additional candles will be placed on the sidewalk in front of your nearby offices. We are confident that we can match you candle for body bag as long as you wish to continue.

Kindly do not send us a form letter restating the party line and your claimed faith in it. Just end the war.


contact: admin@greenvilleantiwarsociety.com


- Greenville Antiwar Society, Greenville, SC -