DONATE!
We must immediately raise funds to pay for buses and to print the hundreds of thousands of flyers, stickers and posters needed to spread the word. We must also pay for sound and stage at the rally sites.
Please make a much needed donation right now.
on the Pentagon
|
LOGISTICS FOR SEPTEMBER 24 IN WASHINGTON DC | ||||||||||||||
|
HOW DO I GET TO WASHINGTON DC FOR SEPTEMBER 24?
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FOR THOSE COMING TO DC
HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
BUSES, VANS AND CAR CARAVANS GOING TO DC: Transportation will be organized from cities all over the country to travel to Washington DC. Click here for a list of cities organizing transportation. People will be coming from every state in the East Coast, Midwest and South, and many are coming to DC from the West.
If you're organizing people from your area and you're not listed, fill out the online Transportation Form so we can help get the word out.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS
For detailed driving directions to Washington DC, click here. Maps of the rally site, bus drop off & march route For an online DC metro map, click on one of the options below:
Interactive online metro map Printable map of DC Metro System Below are PDFs of an 8.5x11 map of the DC metro system. You can print these and give them to the bus driver and bus riders. Please see above for a map of the rally area that shows the closest metro stations.
On the weekends, the metro is open from 7:00 am until 3:00 am. The closest metro exit is Federal Triangle on the blue/orange lines - the exit is on the West side of 12th St. between Pennsylvania & Constitution Aves. NW. Also near the White House are Farragut West on the blue/orange lines - the exits are on the 1) NW corner 18th & I Sts. NW and 2) SE corner 17th & I Sts. NW; McPherson Square on the blue/orange lines - the exits are on the 1) SW corner 14th & I Sts. NW and 2) SE corner Vermont Ave. & I St. NW; Metro Center on the blue/orange/red lines - the exits are at 1) SE corner 11th and G Sts. NW, 2) SW corner 12th and F Sts. NW, 3) SE corner 13th and G Sts. NW and 4) NE corner 12th and G Sts. NW; Smithsonian on the blue/orange lines - the exits are at 1) 12th St. at Jefferson Dr. SW (The Mall) and 2) SW corner 12th St. & Independence Ave. SW. Maps of the rally site, metro stations, A metro ride will cost $1.35 minimum per rider each way (if you are traveling from farther away, such as from Maryland or Virginia, it will be more). Fare cards must be purchased from machines (not from a person) located in the metro stations. The maximum change the machines give is $4.95, so please have small bills if you're paying with cash. You can also pay with a debit or credit card (minimum charge $1.35, maximum charge $3.90). Buses in DC DC/MD/VA bus maps are available online. The White House is Pennsylvania Ave. along the inaugural route is accessible by many bus lines. Click on the links below for maps, and use the zoom key (looks like a magnifying glass) for a clear view of your destination and route: Bus timetables are available: Maps of the rally site, metro stations,
AIRPORTS, BUS AND TRAIN STATION IN DC AIRPORTS
There are three airports in the Washington DC area: Washington-Dulles International (IAD) Baltimore-Washington Airport BUS STATION TRAIN STATION
Amtrak, MTA/MARC, Metrorail and Virginia Rail Express run to Union Station. Union Station is located at 50 Massachusetts Ave. NE. The red line stop "Union Station" is located inside the building (Click here for metro information). Click here for the Union Station website, which offers directions.
AMTRAK MTA/MARC Metrorail Virginia Rail Express WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR SEPT. 24? A permit has been obtained for a mass rally on the Ellipse in front of the White House on Saturday, September 24.
The White House/Ellipse rally site opens at 7:00 am. Buses will begin arriving and contingents will begin assembling early in the morining. Groups will be setting up literature and informational tables. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about different social justice groups who are all coming together for the joint activities at the White House. Come early to the White House/Ellipse to visit the exhibits and tents! (See below for more information on tabling and contingents.)
Starting at 10:00 am at the Ellipse we will have music and spoken word. At 11:30 am there is a scheduled joint rally. After the joint rally, we will march.
The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition has secured a permit from the Metropolitan Police Department for the mass march on September 24 that will take the demonstration directly in front of the White House on Pennsylvania Ave. This is the first time in many years that a march permit has been secured for a mass assembly march and protest on Pennsylvania Ave. right at the doorstep of the White House. (See below for the full march route.) Maps of the rally site, bus drop off & march route Buses can drop off passengers on Pennsylvania Ave. between 13th and 14th Sts. NW - just two blocks from the rally and march site. This is the south side of "Freedom Plaza", located just two blocks from the northeast corner of the Ellipse (the main assembly area). There will be bus greeters and directors here to help everyone find their way directly to the rally and march step off location. We have a written agreement with the Metropolitan Police Department for the buses to drop off at this location.
We strongly recommend that all buses utilize this drop off point. This will ensure that everyone arrives on time and does not miss the rally and the start of the march. Buses have dropped off in downtown DC for all of the massive anti-war rallies involving hundreds of thousands of people. Because buses arrive over a period of several hours, there will not be a heavy back-up of buses. Though there will be some street closures due to the IMF and World Bank meetings, these are on the other side of the White House and will not impact the bus drop off area. Those whose buses drop off at the outlying metro stations may not arrive on time for the rally and the march step off. It will take a minimum of 45 minutes to ride the metro to the White House area, you may have to transfer metro lines, and it will cost over $2 per person. It is only a few minute walk from the Pennsylvania Ave. bus drop off point to the rally site. BUS PARKING & PICK UP AFTER THE RALLLY After buses drop off passengers, they should proceed to the designated parking locations for the buses. Bus organizers should designate a bus pick up location at the most convenient outlying metro station. Please see the map below for recommendations based on where you are driving from. You should give slips of paper to each of the bus riders so they remember which station to take the metro to at the end of the day (see below for PDFs of these slips customized for each station).
Printable directions for bus drivers & riders Please select one of these scenarios in advance. You can print out information sheets for drivers and riders. Please note that these information sheets refer to the map that includes the location of metro stations. If you are traveling from the north/west on 70 East / 270 South, park at the Shady Grove station. Printable 8.5x11 inch PDFs for bus drivers and bus riders. If you are traveling from the north/east on 95 South, park at the Greenbelt station. Printable 8.5x11 inch PDFs for bus drivers and bus riders. If you are traveling from the south/west on 66 East, park at the Vienna station. Printable 8.5x11 inch PDFs for bus drivers and bus riders. If you are traveling from the south/east on 95 North, park at the Branch Ave station. Printable 8.5x11 inch PDFs for bus drivers and bus riders. top
MAPS OF MAIN RALLY SITE AND MASS MARCH ROUTE Printable map of rally site, bus drop off & metro stations Below are PDFs of an 8.5x11 inch flyer that includes a map of the rally site, bus drop off and metro stations. You can print these and give them to the bus driver and bus riders, and bring one for yourself.
Following the main rally with major speakers and music, the mass march will take place. The march will assemble at and leave out of the Ellipse. The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition has obtained a permit for the march which will proceed from the Ellipse and then North on 15th St. to Pennsylvania Ave., West on Pennsylvania Ave. (directly in front of the White House) to 17th St., North on 17th St. to H St., East on H St. to 14th St., South on 14th St. to Pennsylvania Ave., East on Pennsylvania Ave. to 9th St. (directly in front of the FBI Building and the Justice Department), South on 9th St. to Constitution Ave., and West on Constitution Ave. to 15th St.
Below are PDFs of an 8.5x11 flyer that includes a map of the march route. You can print these and give them to bus riders.
There are many, many parking lots in the White House area. Below are just a portion of them. All listed below are open on Saturday - addresses, hours and cost is listed below. Those lots that accept vans are noted. If you arrive early, you may find street parking. Please check first to make sure the space has not been designated as "no parking" for the day. Most meters do not have to be paid on Saturdays!
top The A.N.S.W.E.R. National Office is helping to coordinate contingent assemblies on different areas of the Ellipse at the White House (the main assembly area for the massive rally and march). We recommend that contingents assemble in this area in order not to miss the main rally or the march step off. You can designate a particular banner, flag, balloon, or other marker as something for people joining you to look for, and make sure to bring extra high poles to elevate it above the crowd. This way, everyone coming to your contingent can follow the crowd from the bus drop off location to the main assembly area and then find you - rather than having to find another part of Washington DC. Please contact the A.N.S.W.E.R. office to let us know about your contingent and to coordinate your assembly point. Please email contingents@internationalanswer.org with your group name, a contact name and phone number, and the plan for your contingent. Below is a map showing recommended areas (in yellow) for contingent meeting points. Please note that two of the side panels on the east side of the Ellipse are closed for construction - the sidewalks and roadways are open to enter, but the grassy areas are inaccessible. There are side panels on the south and west sides, and if you have a high banner, flag or balloon you can assemble right in the Ellipse on the south side. Click here for a printable template flyer for your group to use to advertise your contingent to your constituents. (This is different than the image below.)
We have arranged plenty of space at the Ellipse for all groups that want to set up informational tables. We are providing tabling space for free. It is available on a first come, first serve basis in the designated tabling area. Please review the map of the tabling area. If you are planning to set up a table, please email your group name and a contact name and number to tabling@internationalanswer.org. Please bring your own table. If you have other structures associated with your table set up, please call 202-544-3389 before you bring them to confirm whether or not these will be allowed on the Ellipse. You can begin your table set up at 8:00 am on the Ellipse at September 24 and stay for the entire day. Click here for a printable 8.5x11 inch PDF with the tabling map and policy.
HOUSING IN DC: HOTELS, HOSTELS AND CAMPSITES HOSTELS / LOW COST HOTELS IN DC AREA PLEASE NOTE: All listings of prices and availability are as of early August 2005 and may no longer be valid. Listings are in no particular order. All accommodations are in the Washington DC area (please note that some locations in Northern Virginia may be closer to the rally site, which is in downtown DC, than some of the DC locations). Hotels fur bus drivers: The hotels that accept buses for parking are noted. If your bus driver is going to a hotel to rest and the hotel does not have bus parking, he/she can park at the designated metro station and then take the metro to the hotel. If you are with a group (10 or more) and would like to inquire about low cost group housing options, email housing@internationalanswer.org. Group housing is not gauranteed, but requests can and should be made as soon as possible, and we will do our best to fulfill them. Please include details about arrival day/time and departure day/time and the number in the group in your email. New! New! New! First Trinity Lutheran Washington International Student Center Hostelling International-Washington D.C. Center for Educational Design Washington Norwich House Centro Maria Residence American Guesthouse American Guesthouse American Guesthouse Adams Inn Best Western Beltway Motel 6 Braxton Hotel Kalorama Guest House Brickskeller Bragg Towers Hotel Harrington Americana Motel Comfort Inn of Tysons Corner Woodley Park Guest House Hilton Garden Inn Holiday Inn on the Hill Windsor Inn Embassy Inn Holiday Inn Jurys Normandy Inn Jurys Washington Inn Best Western New Hampshire Suites Days Inn Capitol Hill Suites Holiday Inn (Georgetown) Lincoln Suites Downtown Holiday Inn Ballston Super 8 Motel Lincoln Suites Best Western 202-488-7500 Group rates for 10+ rooms: $189 for a double, normal rate is $209 20 rooms available for Sept. 23 Navy Yard metro on the green line Tabard Inn Gallery Inn
Click here for listings of campgrounds and RV parks in the area If you are with a group and would like to inquire about low cost group housing options, email housing@internationalanswer.org. Group housing is not gauranteed, but requests should be made as soon as possible, and we will do our best to fulfill them. Please include details about arrival day/time and departure day/time and the number in the group in your email. The area of the rally site will be wheelchair accessible. There will be wheelchair accessible bathrooms. The National Lawyers Guild will be deploying legal observers for the mass rally and march on September 24. For media inquiries, contact the Washington DC office at 202-544-3389. A cell phone number will be available in September for use at the demonstration. To contact the media coordinator, email media@internationalanswer.org WEATHER:
See weather.com for temperature readings, etc. - but please remember that weather predictions are not always accurate. Bring snacks and water, and wear comfortable shoes since you'll be standing and walking for several hours.
There are a number of restaurants and coffee shops in the area that cater to the tourists. There are vendors in the area of the White House with snack food, ice cream, soda, etc. People are encouraged to bring snacks or a lunch with them because it will be a long day.
Portable bathroom facilities, including disabled access bathrooms, will be on the grounds of the Ellipse on the west side.
To make this event a success, hundreds of volunteers are needed to help out in many areas! Whether you're arriving a week early, or the morning of the 24th -- there are many ways you can help out. Click here for a detailed description of how you can help and to sign up! When you come to the rally site, look for the big signs that say "Volunteers Needed." Many volunteers and helpers will be needed in this area, so please call 202-544-3389 or email to find out how you can help! Click here to sign up. For more banners@internationalanswer.org.
Downloadable literature is available on the Sept. 24 Outreach/Promotional Materials Page. The A.N.S.W.E.R. logistics team will hold numerous work sessions to complete work in all of the above areas in preparation for September 24. Work sessions will take place in Washington DC. There will be worksessions at the A.N.S.W.E.R. office on Tuesday at 7 pm and on Thursday at 5 pm - and you can also help out during the day (just give us a call for details). Those in Washington DC on Wednesday night can attend a Volunteers Meeting/Training/Orientation at the A.N.S.W.E.R. office (1247 E St. SE) at 7 pm. Click here to sign up. WHAT IS THE A.N.S.W.E.R. COALITION? The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) was formed on September 14, 2001 and organized the first national demonstrations opposing the administration's war drive for empire and in defense of civil rights and civil liberties. It is a broad coalition of anti-war groups, civil rights and social justice organizations, religious groups, student groups, anti-globalization, and anti-racism groups. A.N.S.W.E.R. has organized the largest mass anti-war demonstrations in Washington DC and national and local actions bringing hundreds of thousands of people into the streets over the past four years.
For more information, click here. | ||||||||||||||
| ANSWER Coalition | 202-544-3389 | Local offices |