DC Anti-War Network
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The DC Anti-War Network (DAWN) is a grassroots anti-war organization formed after the September 11, 2001 attacks. The group opposes using 9/11 victims to perpetuate the War on Terrorism, all forms of national, racial, economic or religious violence and bigotry, and torture. The group demands an end to war and occupation as a foreign policy and repeal of the Patriot Act. The group seeks global peace through economic and social means, and a world of ethnic, racial, and religious tolerance.[1]
DAWN is a non-hierarchical group, meaning that there are no leaders in DAWN. In fact, DAWN technically does not have any members. People who come to DAWN's weekly meetings or actions are called participants.
Since DAWN's founding in 2001, DAWN activists have organized and participated in dozens of protests, vigils, forums, and other events. See the Events and Reports links below. These include the several large protests of the Iraq War organized by United for Peace and Justice, as well as International ANSWER in DC and New York over the last 5 years; local events at the anniversaries of the Iraq War and at significant milestones in the war; numerous anti-torture protests; protests against administration figures like Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle; and protests at President George W. Bush State of the Union addresses. DAWN participants organized against the 2004 Republican and Democratic national conventions. DAWN's October 23, 2004 coffin memorial at the Lincoln Memorial for US and Iraq Victims of War with 1,100 coffins got national publicity.
DAWN also has organized with School of the Americas Watch, as well as sponsoring several counter-recruitment forums and protests. It has endorsed and participated in several protests against the Israeli Occupation of Palestine and aggression against Palestinians. It has led the way in local protests of the pro-war machinations of the neoconservatives and American Israel Public Affairs Committee aka AIPAC. Since 2004 it has been one of the few DC groups consistently working against any U.S. or Israel attack on Iran.
One of DAWN's largest actions was part of the January 20, 2005 counter-inaugural protest, where they staged two separate events, both meeting at Malcolm X Park: A rally and march to McPherson Square, and a civil disobedience die-in, which marched to Lafayette Park and then laid in the street. The DAWN-initiated January 21, 2005 "March on the Neocons" featured 50 protesters marching on six downtown Washington, DC neoconservative headquarters.
In 2006 DAWN endorsed and members worked on other groups' actions like The Declaration of Peace, Camp Democracy; the June 35th Anniversary of the 24 Hour "Peace Park" Vigil; a protest of the Gridiron Club Dinner; several anti-torture vigils and protests; an August 9th Nagasaki Day nuclear policy and war forum at the U.S. Congress which was shown on C-SPAN; as well as protests against Israel's attack on Lebanon. DAWN also initiated events like another protest at the annual AIPAC convention; a protest at a March House Appropriations Committee meeting on war funding; an April forum about the Walt-Mearsheimer "Israel Lobby" paper; a protest at Representative James Sensenbrenner's home in solidarity with immigrants; a June 6 "6-6-6" NO ARMAGEDDON FOR BUSH rally and exorcism of the White House; a July protest of pro-war-with-Iran Christians United for Israel lobby group; and a protest of the Washington Post over alleged war profiteering.
In early to mid-2006, DAWN's Weekly Action Group ("WAG") focused on having weekly actions aimed at drawing the connections between militarism in the United States and other related issues. Among the protests were several at the home of World Bank President and architect of the Iraq War, Paul Wolfowitz. Beginning in May 2006, DAWN began a series of protests at the home of Director of National Intelligence and former Ambassador to Honduras, the UN, and Iraq, John Negroponte. In one such protest, a participant of DAWN had been detained by a person coming from Negroponte's garage, who told the officers from the DC Metropolitan Police Department, that he was with the CIA. He explained his actions, saying, "The Ambassador wants someone arrested for this." The Ambassador could be seen on video in the garage. In response, WANTED posters of John Negroponte could be seen throughout Washington, DC. The group also organized two protests outside the Israeli ambassador's home during Israel's attack on Lebanon. After some DAWN participants criticized the Weekly Action Group's chants and tactics, some WAG members left to form a separate group.
In the fall of 2006 DAWN activists organized and participated in the two week encampment Camp Democracy held on the National Mall; the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance and Declaration of Peace September 26 and 27 nonviolent civil disobedience actions at the U.S. House and Senate; and the October 17 Washington Region Religious Coalition Against Torture protest and civil disobedience at the White House as President George W. Bush signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006.
In the past, DAWN has criticized other anti-war groups, notably by ANSWER and UFPJ, for their authoritarian processes. Since February 2003, DAWN has been a member of United for Peace and Justice, but in Spring 2006, passed a proposal saying that it would "stop all money going to UFPJ forever." However, other DAWN participants have noted that such a decision is not binding on future meetings, nor does it affect participants or the group from endorsing or working on UFPJ events.
There is some question whether DAWN is a network or simply another autonomous group. Many participants in DAWN belong to other groups, but the group makes decisions and organizes independently of any other group that might participate in DAWN.
