In Nassau County, Long Island our day of actions to mark the 5th anniversary of the Iraq war began with a press conference at the Supreme Court Building in Mineola. Margaret Melkonian, co-director of the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives, opened with a statement about the war and its tragic costs in terms of lives and dollars. She was followed by Ed Ciaccio, Queens/Nassau MoveOn Council, who read a statement from MoveOn's New Priorities Campaign; Sue Donnelly, Code Pink Long Island, who spoke about what she witnessed at the Winter Soldier hearings; and Sister Mary Beth Moore, Pax Christi Long Island, who read the “LI Clergy and Religious Against the War” statement, which has thus far been signed by more than 100 local religious leaders. Reverend Ben Bortin of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock and Habeeb Ahmed of the Islamic Center of Long Island also spoke. The press conference was covered by News 12 Long Island, WCBS radio, a photographer from Newsday, and the Regional News Network (RNN).

In the afternoon groups of people visited the offices of Reps. Steve Israel (CD 2), Peter King (CD 3), and Carolyn McCarthy (CD 4) They met with staff to deliver the message, “End the war and bring the troops home now.” The delegations left packets of information for the representatives, including facts and figures about the cost of the war to taxpayers in each of LI’s five Congressional districts. Later in the day Rep. Gary Ackerman (CD 5) joined us at our peace vigil in Garden City. There are plans to visit Rep. Tim Bishop (CD 1) within the next week.

At 5 p.m., more than 200 Long Islanders came out in the rain to call for an end to the war and for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. We gathered on Old Country Road in Garden City, in our raincoats or under umbrellas, in a peaceful vigil to mark the 5th anniversary of the war. There were 8-year-olds and 80-year-olds; students from several local colleges and universities; and citizens from the North and South Shores as well as places in between. As people stood with soggy signs, an occasional song or chant would break out. There were many honks of support from cars and buses passing by. Congressman Gary Ackerman joined us for awhile— the first LI representative to stand with us against the war. The mood was serious, yet hopeful. On Long Island, we are resolved to step up our efforts to end the war and bring the troops home—now.

Photos of the press conference and vigil in Newsday:

newsday.com/news/local/photos/ny-0jy04xds20080320074404,0,6481031.photo

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/photos/ny-0jxzn6rs20080319093401,0,6683447.photo