Anti-war protests planned across North America
By John Catalinotto
September 10, 2012
The United National Anti-war Coalition has called for protest actions across
the country on the anniversary of the imperialist U.S. invasion of
Afghanistan.
At the first national conference call to organize the protests, held at the
end of August, 49 people from 17 U.S. states and British Colombia in Canada
participated. Many of the areas reported work already underway to organize
actions on the Oct. 5-7 weekend.
In the Los Angeles area, two coalitions had begun to build demonstrations.
Speaking for one of the groups, John Parker of the International Action Center
expressed his readiness to discuss holding a common demonstration. This was
also the suggestion of the UNAC leaders on the call.
In an email inviting people to participate in a second conference call set
for Sept. 5, UNAC wrote that it is preparing a website that “will allow
people to enter their own information on their actions. Until the site is
online, please send details of any actions in your area to UNACpeace@gmail.com.
Please include date, time, place, demands, sponsoring organizations and contact
information.”
Among the slogans UNAC is promoting are “No wars! No sanctions! No
drone attacks! Bring all the troops home now!” “Self-determination
for the people of Syria and Iran!” and “No to racism, raids and
repression! No to Islamophobia!”
Syria, Iran threatened
The developing civil war that the imperialist powers are imposing on Syria,
with the assistance of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and NATO member Turkey, gives the
Oct. 5-7 demonstrations a growing urgency. On Sept. 3, French Foreign Minister
Laurent Fabius threatened the Syrian government with intervention should it use
chemical weapons, which Syria allegedly possesses. Fabius was putting French
imperialism behind a similar aggressive threat that U.S. President Barack Obama
made in August.
These threats — along with the overwhelmingly one-sided propaganda in
the corporate media demonizing the Syrian government — are reminiscent of
the pretexts used against Iraq before the U.S. invaded that country.
Just last year the NATO powers, with a mandate pushed through the United
Nations Security Council by the U.S., Britain and France, carried out an air
war that destroyed Libya and left its people in the hands of a chaotic and
reactionary pro-imperialist grouping while imperialist corporations have
grabbed Libya’s oil. So far, China and Russia have exercised their veto
against any similar U.N. mandate regarding Syria.
The other major war threat raised at this time is that a U.S.-backed Israel
might strike Iran’s nuclear power industry.
