"FRODO HAS FAILED – BUSH HAS THE RING" ALSBP - 14.02.2003 17:10
Earth First activists hang banner on highway in Tennessee ANTI-WAR BANNER HUNG OVER BILLBOARD ON I-40 IN WEST KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE! BANNER READS: "FRODO HAS FAILED – BUSH HAS THE RING!" Knoxville, Tennessee, February 13, 2003 - Local Earth First! activists have hung a giant anti-war banner over an interstate billboard in west Knoxville this morning. The banner, which reads, "Frodo has failed – Bush has the ring!" was hung early this morning over a Hooter's billboard in a plot of land between I-40, Gallaher View Road, and Kingston Pike. http://www.pandragonfilms.com/frodo.jpg Thousands of morning rush hour commuters headed eastbound on I-40 are expected to see the message. Two climbers are staying up on the billboard in an attempt to display the banner all day long as part of a nonviolent direct action against the impending war on Iraq. The activists also hope to advertise the rally against the war this Saturday at 11am at Morrell and Kingston Pike. Police have stated that they will only arrest the climbers if the billboard company decides to press charges. Phone interviews may be conducted with the climbers until arrest via Abigail Singer (contact info below). On-the-ground interviews are available with Scott Johnson (contact info below). ACTIVIST TALKING POINTS: "In only the space of two short years, this reckless and arrogant administration has initiated policies which may reap disastrous consequences for years." – Senator Byrd Fictitious or not, we cannot rely on heroes to take a stand for us. Regular people need to take back our democracy. Every American now bears the responsibility to speak out on the President's campaign to invade Iraq. The ramifications of this war must become part of the public debate. This war is definitely about oil, among other things. The oil companies have already met with the President to divide up the oil fields. The Bush administration seeks to strengthen the American empire, which currently has military bases in 155 out of 201 countries in the world. This war will not only increase the risk of terrorism but also give radical terrorists a reason to retaliate. Iraq is not a threat to the United States. In the Gulf War, 150,000 Iraqis died, compared to 148 Americans. Iraq's military is now 25% of its size in 1990. Depleted uranium stays radioactive for millions of years, leaving the land uninhabitable for many generations. Over the last ten years, the sanctions on Iraq, which banned water-purification systems among other things, have resulted in the deaths of half a million children under the age of five. "The fetters imposed on liberty at home have ever been forged out of the weapons provided for defense against real, pretended, or imaginary dangers from abroad." – James Madison for More Information Contact: (on the billboard) Abigail Singer, (865) 384-6013 (on the ground) Scott Johnson, (865) 973-2485 (media support) Pan Walker, (865) 300-2209 media@panwalker.com |