MARCH 18: The World Marches Against the War
Across the Globe Thousands March to Say "Troops Out Now!"
Worldwide protests condemn U.S. occupation of Iraq
New York City [credit: PVN]
March 19, 2006--Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets yesterday, the third anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The day saw demonstrations in more than 20 countries, from South Africa to Iceland, and in dozens of cities across the U.S.
In New York City, the day's events began at 11 am with local protests at recruiting centers throughout the city, with more than 100 rallying at the recruiting station in Harlem at 125th St.
At 1:00 pm, more than 7,000 rallied in Times Square to demand the "immediate, complete, unconditional" withdrawal of all occupying forces from Iraq. After the rally in Times Square, they marched to the United Nations demanding no war on Iran and that the survivors of Hurricane Katrina have the right of return to New Orleans and the other devastated areas of the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The New York rally, which was held near the infamous Times Square recruiting station, was opened by Tiokasin Ghosthorse of First Voice Indigenous Radio.
New York City [credit: PVN]
The spirited rally filled more than two city blocks, with hundreds more joining in for the march. Activists from BAYAN USA, the organization representing the unified struggle in the Philippines against the corrupt puppet regime and against US occupation, carried a banner, stretching nearly half a block that read "US Troops Out of the Philippines." A large "Free Leonard Peltier" contingent was also present, organized by the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee.
Speakers included Charles Jenkins of the TWU; Elaine Brower, mother of a soldier deployed to Iraq; Wael Musfar of the Arab Muslim American Federation; Nellie Bailey of the Harlem Tenants Council; Brenda Stokely of the Million Worker March; Elizabeth Zeiden of the Reproductive Rights Project of the ACLU; LeiLani Dowell, of Queers for Peace & Justice; Professor Abbas Edelet, founder of CASMII- the Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran, taped messages from political prisoners Mumia Abu-Jamal and Leonard Peltier, Sara Flounders of the Stop War on Iran Campaign, Yoomi Jeong of the Korea Truth Commission, Rebecca Rotzler of the Green Party, and many other representatives of local and international struggles.
Veterans, Military Families, and Katrina survivors organized a five-day march from Mobile to New Orleans under the slogan, "From the Gulf Coast to the Persian Gulf. Every bomb dropped on Iraq explodes in New Orleans." The call to action for the event, 'Walkin to New Orleans,' said, "Military families and veterans of Iraq, Vietnam and other military adventures, together with hurricane survivors, intend to make that connection crystal clear on an epic march down Gulf Coast Highway 90, heading into the heart of New Orleans on the third anniversary of the war. The ongoing crisis on the Gulf Coast and the connection that Dr. King made between the 'giant triplets of racism, militarism and economic exploitation' will be impossible to ignore."
In Chicago, thousands marched down North Michigan Avenue. Organizers in the area have been in a long-standing struggle with the police over their right to march down some of the cities most prominent streets, including Michigan Avenue's "Miracle Mile." This year they finally obtained a permit and this well-heeled neighborhood was the scene of a large and militant protest, organized by a broad coalition of community, antiwar, and progressive organizations.
In San Francisco, in what may have been the largest demonstration in the U.S., thousands of antiwar demonstrators demonstrated solidarity with hotel workers who have been working without a contract, by marching to a nearby hotel. Malik Rahim, a leader of Common Ground Relief in New Orleans, was the rally's keynote speaker. . In Los Angeles, thousands rallied at Hollywood & Vine at 12 noon. Speakers included Fernando Suarez, father of a Marine killed in Iraq; Pablo Paredes, a member of the US Navy who refused orders to deploy; Rep. Maxine Waters; and actor Mike Ferrell.
In Boston, a crowd of more than 3,000 marched demanding ""Stop the violence, Stop the war at home and abroad!" Initiated by the Rosa Parks Human Rights Day Coalition, March 18 activities in Boston began with a rally in Roxbury in the heart of Boston's Black community followed by a march through various communities of color and then through the Downtown Crossing, the major shopping district of Boston, and on to the State House.
In Detroit, Hundreds marched up Woodward Avenue in the street through the gentrified Detroit downtown. From old to young including disabled activists in scooters and wheel chairs, the crowd said, "Bring the Troops Home, Now!" and "Money for Our Cities, Not for War."
Over 300 people gathered in Buffalo to protest the continuing criminal war!
The Troops Out Now Coalition, which helped organize demonstrations throughout the U.S., issued a statement calling for the antiwar movement to unite around the demand for an immediate, complete, unconditional withdrawal of all occupying forces from Iraq. This statement says, in part, "The best way that the antiwar movement can mark the third anniversary of the criminal war and occupation of Iraq is to unite around the demand for an immediate, unconditional and complete withdrawal of all occupying troops from Iraq.Immediate - not in 10 years or in six months--as soon as it takes to put soldiers on planes and bring them home. Not waiting for the "Iraqi" army to be trained or for the establishment of a government subject to U.S. control, or for any other reasons that really only amount to one thing: an excuse to justify and extend the occupation.
Complete - not in phases, not with bases left behind, not redeployment across the border, but a complete removal of all occupying forces from all Iraqi territory.
Unconditional - The Iraqi people have an absolute right to govern themselves today, without any conditions imposed on them by Bush and Halliburton.
Political positions have a direct bearing on how a movement struggles, or even if it engages in struggle at all. Adapting to a soft position, like phased withdrawal or redeployment, gives people the message that there's no need to mobilize on the streets to bring the troops home now--just wait for the politicians to work out the details of the withdrawal. If the movement were united around the demand for an immediate, complete, unconditional withdrawal, this would elevate, intensify, and clarify the struggle against the war."
Activists with the Troops Out Now Coalition made this demand --the immediate, complete, unconditional withdrawal--the focus of March 18, and will continue to raise this demand in the streets until all of the troops are home.
Media Coverage of March 18:
San Diego Union Tribune; San Diego Online
Troops Out Now (MP3 audio) With Wael Mousfar, Arab Muslim American Federation; Nana Soul - Blackwaxx, Artists and Activist United for Peace; Tiokasin Ghosthorse, First Voices Indigenous Radio; and Sara Flounders, Troops Out Now Coalition--
Message from Leonard Peltier- Times Square New York
Third Anniversary of Iraq Invasion
In New York, demonstrators gathered near Times Square yesterday, to protest the third Anniversary of the United States invasion of Iraq. Protesters gathered on three lanes of Broadway south of 42nd street, and New York Police officers patrolled the avenue while dozens of police officers attempted to keep traffic moving on the street and sidewalk. The demonstrators bundled against the cold and confined police fences to a two block stretch listened to various speakers from various organizations. Toni Zeidan, of the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee recited the following message from Leonard Peltier:
Message from Leonard Peltier:
"We heard weapons of mass destruction as a reason to attack Iraq and although the basis did not exist, We are still there. I admire our troops but can not sit here and allow our government to continue to use our loyal and courageous men and women. It is time for our troops to come home, to stop our government from withholding evidence, to stop their lies, while innocent people die. The government, in the name of national security, is fighting vigorously to keep long hidden FBI documents from my attorneys. In Buffalo, for example, government attorneys argued that it could not turn over five pages of the FBI file in Buffalo concerning me because disclosure could cause damage to the "national security and the war on transnational terrorism." I, Leonard Peltier will continue to fight to liberate all FBI documents that the government is withholding on national security grounds. Our government uses the words " national security" and fighting the war on transnational terrorism as a smoke screen to cover up further crimes and misconduct by the FBI as in my case and in the senseless death of the Reservation Murders and those of our troops, children, and family members of innocent victims of the ongoing war in Iraq. I call on Congress and other government officials to bring our troops home and to abide by our Constitution regarding the withholding of documents for the past 30 years. "
Leonard Peltier
March 18, 2008
Mumia Abu-Jamal tells March 18-19 protests: 'Down with the neo–con war in Iraq!
From a March 5, 2006 audio commentary.
Ona move! Long live John Africa! Thanks for inviting me to join ya'll in this international protest against this mad war in Iraq. I say mad ‘cause it was waged solely because neo-cons have been itching for this battle for years.
In a report put out by the Project for a New American Century, the group wrote that it needed a new Pearl Harbor to launch their plots. In a open letter of January, 1998, the former president Clinton, eighteen members of this project, called for the removal of Saddam Hussein saying it should be the aim of American foreign policy.
9-11 provided the pretext for war and by then eleven of those project members were at high levels of government. They forced this war on the American people to seize the rich oil reserves in Iraq and to dominate the region directly.
They brought this country and the Middle East to the brink of disaster for their own financial, corporate, and imperial ends. The promises of freedom and democracy in Iraq were as empty and as meaningless as the promises to rebuild New Orleans or to bring help to those thousands who suffered in the wake of hurricane Katrina.
That wasn’t incompetence, and neither was Katrina. They both were acts of capitalism innate cruelty, where Iraqis can be bombed, invaded, and occupied based on lies and where African Americans can be left alone to face the full fury of nature, and then left alone again to starve, to suffer, to drown, for days.
Yes, stop the war in Iraq but how about stopping the war against poor Black folks here at home, ‘cause both arrive from the same source: this system. Let’s build a movement against both wars.
From Death Row, this Mumia Abu-Jamal, author of "We Want Freedom, a Life in the Black Panther Party".
Go to prisonradio.org to hear more of Mumia's audio commentaries. Go to leftbooks.com to order Mumia's book.
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