Stop Blackwater Nisour Massacre Rally

IMPORTANT EVENT

Car driven by Ahmed Haithem Ahmed with his mother, Mohassin Kadhim, a physician. They were both killed by Blackwater gunfire and then their car was incinerated by a Blackwater grenade, burning them to a crisp. STOP BLACKWATER PROTEST -- SAT. SEPT. 13, 2008 COMMEMORATE THE 17 INNOCENT IRAQI CIVILIANS MURDERED BY BLACKWATER IN NISOUR SQUARE! One Year Anniversary Protest and Rally Against Blackwater Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008 3-5 p.m. at Blackwater’s Otay Mesa Training Facility 7685 Siempre Viva Rd., SD CA 92154 (Otay Mesa) BLACKWATER HAS OPENED A NEW TRAINING FACILITY IN OTAY MESA--RIGHT NEXT TO THE MEXICAN BORDER. No one has been held responsible for the senseless murder of Iraqi civilians. Details, Maps, Speaker list, etc....

See pictures, media coverage and comments from our last rally: Blackwater Otay Protest Rally

FIVE KEY REASONS TO GET BLACKWATER OFF OUR BORDER:

1. Blackwater Worldwide, a mercenary group, has a history of killing innocent civilians. In Nisour Square, Iraq, on September 16, 2007, Blackwater “security personnel” shot and killed without provocation seventeen Iraqis civilians, including a nine year old boy.
2. Blackwater has taken no responsibility for any of the killings. Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater, told Congress one month after the Nisour Square Massacre that he had no knowledge of his men hurting innocent civilians.
3. Blackwater is not part of the military! It is a business that profits from bloodshed and killing. Its personnel are not accountable to military, civil, or criminal law. One year after the killings, no one at Blackwater has been charged for any of the killings of innocent civilians.
4. Blackwater used subsidiary business names to apply for its building permits to avoid the normal permit process and avoid public scrutiny. Blackwater has done everything in their power to stop the right of the City Council, the City Attorney, and San Diego residents to say “no” to having Blackwater here, including suing the City of San Diego.
5. Blackwater is a company that profits from conflict. NO CONFLICT = NO PROFIT! Blackwater mercenaries along the US-Mexico border will seek to profit from border instability. Any minor difference among ethnic groups can easily be exploited by Blackwater mercenaries to intervene and make money.

Only the community can prevent Blackwater from establishing deep roots in our neighborhoods. What Blackwater did to innocent Iraqis can very well be done to people in our community, if we don’t act now!

We have shown before that we can stop abusive power; we can do it again and get Blackwater out of San Diego.
We need your help now!
Join us on September 13!

Speakers / Program

Concurrent events are scheduled for North Carolina, Illinois, Idaho, and around the country!

• Rep. Bob Filner (CA-51)
• Nativo Lopez, President, MAPA
• Ray Lutz, Coordinator for Citizens' Oversight Projects (COPs) and Candidate, 77th State Assembly District
• Carol Jahnkow, Executive Director, Peace Resource Center, San Diego
• Pedro Rios, America Friends Service Committee, US-Mexico Border Project
• Dave Wiley, Veterans for Peace
• Idaho former House of Representatives Member Bonnie Douglas
• Imam Hassan Taha

DIRECTIONS:

By Car

805 South to 905 East,
Turn right at Britannia (opposite Brown Field Control Tower),
Turn left on to Siempre Viva (third light). Continue to 7685 Siempre Viva (park along the street)

By Public Transit

• Trip to the event:
  • From Los Angeles:
    • Amtrak Route #768 - Pacific Surfliner
      • Depart Los Angeles, CA, Union Station (LAX) 9:40 am
      • Arrive San Diego, CA (SAN) 12:25 pm
      • Continue from Santa Fe Station, below.
  • North County starting points:
    • Coaster #688, Oceanside (12:35pm), Carlsbad Village (12:40pm), Carlsbad Poinsettia (12:46), Encinitas (12:51), Solana Beach (12:57), Sorrento Valley (1:06), Old Town (1:30), San Diego, Santa Fe Depot (1:35)
  • Santa Fe Station
    • 1:54pm - Depart Santa Fe Station, Blue Line - Direction: San Ysidro
    • 2:32pm - Arrive Iris Avenue Trolley Station, then see Iris Ave. Trolley Station, below.
  • East County starting points:
    • Santee Transit Center
      • 12:53pm - Depart Santee Town Center, Green Line - Direction: Old Town
      • 1:02pm - Arrive El Cajon Transit Center
    • El Cajon Transit Center
      • 1:13pm - Depart El Cajon Transit Center, Orange Line - Direction: Downtown/Conv Ctr
    • La Mesa Blvd
      • 1:23pm - Depart La Mesa Blvd Transit Center, Orange Line - Direction: Downtown/Conv Ctr
    • Lemon Grove
      • 1:29pm - Depart Lemon Grove Transit Center, Orange Line - Direction: Downtown/Conv Ctr
      • 1:50pm - Arrive 12th & Imperial Transit Center
    • 12th & Imperial Transit Center
      • 2:08pm - Depart 12th & Imperial Transit Center Blue Line - Direction: San Ysidro
      • 2:32pm - Arrive Iris Avenue Trolley Station
    • Iris Ave. Trolley Station
      • 2:38pm - Route 905 Bus (east)
      • 2:50pm - Arrive at Airway Rd & Britannia Blvd
      • It is about 0.6 mile to the rally site. Please call (number TBA) if you need a ride from this bus stop to the rally site.
        • Otherwise, walk west to Britannia and South 0.5 mile to Siempre Viva, then East 0.1 mile to the rally site.
• Return trip:
  • Catch a ride from many rally attendees directly to the Iris Ave. Trolley Station, OR
  • Route 905 departs from Airway Rd & Britannia Blvd at 4:49 PM (or 5:49 PM) arrives at Iris Ave. Trolley Station at 5:02 PM (or 6:02 PM)
  • To East County from Iris Ave Transit Station:
    • Blue Line Trolley - Depart 5:06pm; Arrive 12th & Imperial Transit Center (5:31pm)
    • Transfer to Orange Line - Depart 5:49pm from 12th & Imperial Transit Center; Arrive El Cajon Transit Center (6:25pm)
    • Transfer to Green Line to go to Santee

PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
WE MUST MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD!
NO BLACKWATER ON THE BORDER!

View Larger Map

SPONSORED BY

• Peace Resource Center of San Diego
• Activist San Diego,
• Citizens Oversight.org,
• American Friends Service Committee US-Mexico Border Project
• Coalition for Peace & Justice
• San Diego Veterans for Peace
• plus others!

More info

• Nisour Square Massacre - General information about the Nisour Square Massacre which occured on Sept. 16, 2007, where 17 Iraqi civilians were cut down by Blackwater gunfire.

-- Raymond Lutz - 2008-08-06