Augusta Coalition for Peace and Justice hits the streets

On June 19, 2004, the Augusta Coalition for Peace and Justice (ACPJ) took the issue of affordable health care to the streets, joining members of the United Farm Workers, Jobs With Justice, and other groups from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Golden Gate.

According to Americans for Health Care, tens of thousands of Americans joined together in this action at over 165 local events in all 50 states.

The ACPJ was on Route 250 in Augusta County, near a Wal-Mart, with large signs, educational leaflets and their organization’s banner. A local TV news crew covered the action.

The group was asked to leave the Wal-Mart site, and eventually told they could not leaflet at all by the heavily traveled road, even though they were careful not to interfere with moving traffic.

One member of the group, George Waksmunski, got a citation for “impeding traffic.” Waksmunski said he is looking forward to his day in court, when he will make clear he knows his First Amendment rights.

Reportedly, the police acted somewhat reluctantly, and told the ACPJ members that they were sympathetic to the issue the group was raising.

The Augusta Coalition for Peace and Justice brings together people from Augusta County concerned about a wide variety of peace and justice issues. Other recent actions by ACPJ included a protest at Liberty University in Lynchburg when White House advisor Karl Rove spoke there.

ACPJ sponsored workshops on tax reform with VOP during the last legislative session.