GBPSR protests nuclear weapons spending April 14, 2005

GBPSR and Massachusetts Peace Action, with support from the PSR National Office, organized a 'tax day' event at Cambridge City Hall to protest expenditures on nuclear weapons and other weapons' systems. It was also attended by members of IPPNW. GBPSR was invited by Vice Mayor Marjorie Decker to present the 'big check' to the Cambridge City Council in May.

The following is a reprint of an article in the CAMBRIDGE CHRONICLE, Thursday, April 21, 2005 By Sarah Andrews, CHRONICLE STAFF

An anti-nuclear weapons group took over the steps of Cambridge City Hall last Thursday with a large check in hand.

Vice Mayor Marjorie Decker, left, accepts a check from Dr. David Rush, a member of Physicians for Social Responsibility, the U.S. affiliate of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, a group that opposes spending U.S. tax dollars on nuclear weapons.

Signed by the Cambridge Taxpayers and addressed to "Military Weapons Contractors," the giant, faux bank draft was made out for Twenty -three million dollars and makes no sense." On the memo line, the words "Unnecessary weapons programs" were written.

On city and town hall steps across the country, members of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, a group founded 25 years ago, staged similar demonstrations in honor of tax day. The point, they said, was to get citizens thinking about how much they contribute to warfare spending.

Using numbers from the National Priorities Project, a Ieft-leaning organization that focuses on federal tax spending at the local level, IPPNW said that of the $53 billion slated for warfare spending in 2006, Cantabrigian taxpayers will foot about $23 million of the bill, a number that could outrage many in a city where both public officials and citizens alike haven't been shy about opposing the war in Iraq.

"[Twenty-three million] is an enormous amount," said Michael Christ, the executive director of IPPNW. "And what have we gotten for [all the warfare spending]? We have a right to ask what we've gotten."

On hand to accept the ceremonial check was Vice Mayor Marjorie Decker, perhaps the most outspoken anti-war public official. Decker told IPPNW organizers that she is part of Mayors for Peace, an organization that also seeks an end to nuclear weapons and of which the city is a member.

Mayor Michael Sullivan confirmed he is an active member of Mayors for Peace. Sullivan helped draft a letter on behalf of the group last summer and has twice met with the Mayor of Hiroshima, Japan, to promote the group's goals.

Chris Helms contributed to this report.