Saturday, October 2, 2010

One Nation Working Together" together rally kicks off Saturday




Washington (CNN) -- Five weeks after Tea Party enthusiasts rallied in Washington and one month before mid-term elections, a coalition of liberal groups will have their turn on the streets of the U.S. capital.

The "One Nation Working Together" together rally kicks off Saturday at the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall.

The alliance of progressive and liberal groups say they've joined together to demand more economic opportunities and better education.

Organizers claim a wide range of supporters, some of whom are already associated with liberal causes -- like union workers, environmentalists, gay activists and student leaders. But "One Nation" also claims backing from less obvious quarters -- like senior citizens, veterans and faith leaders.

The group's website sets out a list of basic principles and priorities. These include direct assistance for unemployed workers and assistance for small businesses and local governments trying to hire new workers; a minimum wage increase; health care reform; immigration policy changes; increased bankruptcy and foreclosure protection; and more money for education, from kindergarten through college.

The rally comes on the heels of another rally by conservatives in August.

Commentator Glenn Beck drew tens of thousands Tea Party activists to the Lincoln Memorial for his revival-style rally August 28. The timing and site of the rally provoked controversy among civil rights activists because it was on the 47th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and in the same place.

The "One Nation" rally will begin with an interfaith service at 11 a.m. (ET). At noon, a variety of speakers and performers will take to the stage -- the program mixes speeches by activists and orators with music, historical readings, and even video clips.

Among those scheduled to appear are actor Harry Belafonte, opera singer Angela Brown, the Rev. Al Sharpton, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, NAACP President Ben Jealous, and Diana Ortiz, a Catholic nun who was abducted and tortured by security forces while working in Guatemala.

The program is scheduled to wrap up by 4 p.m.

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