SHUT DOWN THE ARMY EXPERIENCE CENTER

Join activists on Saturday, September 12, 2009 to converge on the Army Experience Center at Franklin Mills Mall in Philadelphia. Plans call for activists to begin gathering as early as 11:00 am on the parking lot of St. Luke’s United Church of Christ located at 11080 Knights Road  Philadelphia, PA 19154  http://www.stlukesucc-phila.net/directio.htm

Participants will be instructed on the plans for the day and will be given cell phone numbers to keep in constant contact with demonstration organizers. There is no lead organizer or committee designated to work with civil and military authorities. We will have trained legal observers with us throughout the day.

We simply ask demonstrators to engage in nonviolent means of expressing their outrage.  13 year-olds are being taught to kill by the U.S. Army at mall.

Throughout the day, we will keep a vigil at the intersection of Knights Road and Woodhaven Road, located between the church and the AEC.   

Affinity groups are encouraged to drift into the mall from different entrances before the 2 PM convergence at the AEC.  Participants are advised to enter the mall without drawing attention from authorities. The Rev. Robert Moore, Exec. Director of the Coalition for Peace Action will address the crowd in front of the Army Experience Center at 2:00 pm.  As well as Debra Sweet, National Director of World Can’t Wait and Patrick Elder, Peace Action.

Several mainstream media outlets have contacted us for stories.

Franklin Mills Mall is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Its street address is 1455 Franklin Mills Circle Philadelphia, PA.  Getting to Franklin Mills Mall is simple.  Take Exit 35 off of Rt. 95 and merge onto Woodhaven Rd, (PA 63 West).  Go a mile and take a right on Millbrook Rd which leads into Franklin Mills Mall.

Map – Zoom in 3 times

<http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Bensalem&amp;state=PA&amp;country=US&amp;latitude=40.104401&amp;longitude=-74.951698&amp;geocode=CITY>

Just a reminder T-shirts to pin your buttons to are here:

www.cafepress.com/shutdowntheaec

What nonviolent, creative activities on September 12th at Franklin Mills Mall would cause civil, military, and corporate officials the greatest degree of anxiety? How can we be the biggest pain in the ass to these people? I don’t know how Gandhi or Christ or King planned their actions, but I’m sure they had love in their hearts for their adversaries while at the same time hoping to cause a ruckus. Same here.

We need to stay focused on these questions as we move closer to September 12th.

The greatest thing going for us is the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution. We know it’s not in vogue these days, but civil authorities, who are supposed to be in charge at Franklin Mills Mall, are expected to protect our freedom of speech and our right to freely assemble.

We obviously don’t agree that we shed our constitutional rights when we enter the premises owned by the Simon Property Group. This envelope we intend to stretch. We will not allow our Army to hide this way.

Although it would be pretty tough for police or mall personnel to legitimately ban someone from entering the building, authorities may feel they have cause to stop someone from entering if they’re wearing clothing or carrying signs suggesting involvement in a protest.

So don’t!

Lay low. We’re asking folks to enter the mall between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm and browse. We certainly don’t want anyone to buy anything that day! We’re also suggesting that demonstrators stay in groups of three or less as they check out the latest fashions at JC Penney, Burlington Coat Factory, or wherever. It’s probably not a good idea to enter the mall near the Army Experience Center, which is located in Space A in the diagram below, between the Skatepark and Sam Ash.

See: http://www.simon.com/mall/print_floorplan.aspx?ID=1245

We’re expecting national television and print coverage this time around, so we want to make sure our presence is formidable.

Everyone will be in or at the Army Experience Center at 2:00 pm.  So plan with your affinity group to make this happen.

We’ll have a brief, loud demonstration and we’ll quickly disperse to our next locations.

Meanwhile, folks willing to risk arrest are being asked to begin showing up at the Army Experience Center as early as noon to sample one of the X Box video murder games or one of the killing simulators. It would be excellent to have folks on the inside throughout the day.  

There will be more postings, so check back!

For more information call Elaine at 917-520-0767.

Activists affiliated with several dozen groups on the east coast will again descend on the Army Experience Center at Franklin Mills Mall in Philadelphia at 2:00 pm on Saturday, September 12, 2009.
  
A protest on May 2, 2009 at the Army’s interactive video recruiting center was attended by 250 people and saw 7 arrests, but failed to generate mainstream print media coverage.
 
This time, demonstrators are being encouraged to form small affinity groups and enter the mall through one of several locations. Protesters are encouraged to express their outrage in creative, nonviolent ways.
 
At 2:00 pm people will come out of the woodwork and converge on the Army Experience Center.   Organizers feel it may not be wise for participants to congregate into large groups before the demonstration or wear clothing that would suggest participation in the protest.  Is it possible for hundreds to arrive at the mall without being detected?  It probably doesn’t matter because police don’t have the right to bar entrance to the mall based on a person’s appearance.
 
Privately owned spaces like shopping malls are not generally considered to be public property like streets, sidewalks and public parks. It’s a problem for folks not particularly enthralled with the status quo, with so many of today’s public spaces masquerading under private ownership.
 
In case military and civilian officials decide to close the Army Experience Center or the entire red section of the mall, demonstrators are encouraged to congregate at the intersection of Knight’s Road and Mechanicsville Road, directly in front of the red entrance.

Franklin Mills Mall is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Its street address is 1455 Franklin Mills Circle Philadelphia, PA.  Getting to Franklin Mills Mall is simple.  Take Exit 35 off of Rt. 95 and merge onto Woodhaven Rd, (PA 63 West).  Go a mile and take a right on Millbrook Rd which leads into Franklin Mills Mall.
 
Map – Zoom in 3 times <http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Bensalem&amp;state=PA&amp;country=US&amp;latitude=40.104401&amp;longitude=-74.951698&amp;geocode=CITY>  and you’ll see Franklin Mills Mall
 
Getting to Franklin Mills Mall by public transportation:
 
Frankford Transportation Center <http://www.septa.org/maps/ftc_map.html>  is the Philadelphia hub for train and bus transportation. From the Frankford Transportation Center, take the Route 67 Bus Northbound to Franklin Mills Mall.  On Saturdays, buses depart at 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 1:30 pm.  It’s a 43 minute ride.  Afternoon service is available from the mall to the Frankford Transportation Center at 3:47, 4:47, and 5:47.  Transportation by car is also being organized
 
For more information, contact Elaine Brower – mermaid423@aol.com or
Pat Elder – patrickelder@verizon.net
 
We encourage you to join our Yahoo List Serve:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/franklinmillsmall/
 
ENDORSERS OF THE CAMPAIGN TO SHUT DOWN AEC
1.  World Can’t Wait
2.  CODEPINK
3.  Student Peace Action Network (SPAN)
4.  Peace Action Montgomery (MD)
5.  Next Left Notes
6.  American Friends Service Committee — Youth & Militarism Program
7.  Movement for a Democratic Society, Staten Island Chapter (MDS/SI)
8.  Gray Panthers, NYC Network
9.  The Granny Peace Brigade, New York City Chapter
10.  The Granny Peace Brigade, Philadelphia Chapter
11. Pacem in Terris, Delaware
12. Brandywine Peace Community
13.  War Resisters League, Delaware Chapter
14.  War Resisters League, Philadelphia Chapter
15.  The National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance (NCNR)
16. Long Island Military Counter-Recruiting Committee of the Suffolk Peace Network
17. Citizens for Legitimate Government
18. After Downing Street.org
19. Buxmont Coalition for Peace Action
20. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Bloomington, IN
21. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Philadelphia Branch
22. Delaware Valley Veterans for America
23. Lehigh-Pocono Committee of Concern
24. Suffolk Peace Network
25. Woodstock Veterans for Peace
26. Veterans for Peace — Thomas Paine Chapter #152
27. Chester County Peace Movement
28. Veterans for Peace — Long Island Chapter
29.  Pax Christi, Long Island
30. Veterans for Peace — Chapter 31
31. Veterans for Peace — Chapter 96, South Jersey
32.  North Country Peace Group (Long Island)

33. Northwest Greens, Pennsylvania

34.  New Hampshire Veterans for Peace