A Ride Till the End--has arrived in New Orleans.
For those of you just tuning in, A Ride Till the End is a perpetual bike ride undertaken by Afghan war veterans to protest the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Ride was the created by Jacob George, A US Army Sergeant and a veteran of the US Special Forces in Afghanistan. This is the first national direct action protest war by Afghan War Veterans. The group left Fayetteville, AR on May 1st and has passed through Little Rock, and is now in New Orleans, where the group continues to confront national problems.
A Ride Till the End--has arrived in New Orleans.
For those of you just tuning in, A Ride Till the End is a perpetual bike ride undertaken by Afghan war veterans to protest the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Ride was the created by Jacob George, A US Army Sergeant and a veteran of the US Special Forces in Afghanistan. This is the first national direct action protest war by Afghan War Veterans. The group left Fayetteville, AR on May 1st and has passed through Little Rock, and is now in New Orleans.
They are soon to be joined by Spencer Hindmarsh, a US Air Force veteran of the Afghanistan war. Spencer, who served in a spy aircraft in the conflict, is planning to drop out of law school at the University of Arkansas to join the ride.
Their goal in passing through Louisiana was to help with ongoing cleanup efforts. Their current plan is to keep biking along the Louisiana coastline, doing their part to help clean up from this national tragedy. Already, the George brothers hooked up with local musicians for a jam session.
Since arriving, they have joined forces with the groups protesting against BP. They participated in a critical mass bike ride (see fotos by joining the facebook page). Anti-BP sentiment is raging in the Big Easy, and dozens of riders turned out to protest.
The Riders bring to these protests a grim reminder of the deep connections between the wars in the Middle East and the gusher now pumping out millions of barrels of crude into the Gulf with no end in sight.
After Louisiana, A Ride Till the End plans to make its way to Texas, first through Houston, then through Austin (possibly stopping in San Antonio along the way).
As always, the riders are looking for solidarity for group rides, and concerts, and for people to join their ride.
For additional background, check out my previous diary entry, or find more information about the group at operationawareness.org, and also on facebook at A Ride Till the End.