Charlotte, NC – At a press conference July 26, leaders of the North Carolina peace movement announced plans for a major anti-war march to coincide with the opening of the Democratic National Convention if it is held in Charlotte.

Josh Sykes, a spokesperson for Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) Asheville, outlined the plans for the march.

“We will bring together thousands of people to oppose the wars on Afghanistan and Iraq,” says Sykes. “We will march to the site of the convention with a clear message: It is time to end the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, and to bring the troops home now. We demand money for education, not occupation.”

Plans for a massive demonstration at the DNC are getting backing from around the country. Meredith Aby, a lead organizer of the massive protests that took place at the 2008 Republican National Convention in Saint Paul, Minnesota, states, “We will charter buses from around the country to travel to Charlotte to protest the wars on Afghanistan and Iraq. We in the peace movement insist that politicians who support these wars are held accountable and we will travel from every point in the country to make that point.”

Demonstrators at the DNC will be raising the slogans, “U.S. out of Afghanistan and Iraq – now!” “Foreclose the war, not people’s homes,” “Bail out the people, not the banks and corporations!” and “Jobs or income now!”

Jeremy Miller, of Asheville SDS stated, “The wars and occupations need to come to an end. We are getting a great response from student activists around the country who want to come here and protest the war.”

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