[CPEO-MEF] Hawai'ans protest Stryker plan

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

_From: keboi@aol.com
10.23.03

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Hawaii protests violence, speaks for peace

Citizens gather to communicate a message of peace, demilitarization, and
resistance to Bush and world community

Supporters of the demilitarization of Hawaii, the most militarized state
of the union, gathered today to send a message to Mr. Bush: stop the new
25,000 acre land grab in Hawaii, clean up current military environmental
catastrophes, and end policies of empire.

The military plans to appropriate 23,000 acres on Hawai'i Island and
2,000 acres on O'ahu for a new Stryker brigade, which is a 20-ton
armored fast-attack vehicle designed for use in international police
actions. The expansion includes 480 of the new vehicles, plus support
vehicles, and more than 2,000 new servicepersons and their families.
Currently, the United States military is over-deployed in 156 out of
nearly 190 UN member countries.

"We believe that a better world is possible, and that's why we're here
today," said Ikaika Hussey, DMZ Hawaii/Aloha Aina member.

"This isn't about defense. This is about invasion and aggression against
other peoples and countries," said Kyle Kajihiro, Program Director of
American Friends Service Committee - Hawaii.

Jim Albertini, longtime peace advocate and community leader on Hawai'i
Island, said that "the Stryker is a modern chariot of empire."

Terry Keko'olani, organizer of Ohana Koa, a Hawaii chapter of the
Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific movement, said, "The public has not
had an opportunity to respond to the developments that are coming,
particularly health, environmental, cultural and political
ramifications, which will have acute impacts on Native Hawaiians and
Hawaiian land."

"This cements Hawaii's dependency on the military dole. We don't want
it."

Mr. Kajihiro added: "Bush is taking America on a course of empire, which
is a course of disaster. Look at the experiences of Rome, of the British
Empire, of the Soviets – at a certain point, force and violence will not
keep the sun from setting."

"The people of Hawaii refuse to participate in your global war for
empire. We know that a better world is possible."

For more information, see WWW.AFSCHAWAII.ORG/DMZHAWAII.HTML

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