ACROSS THE UNITED STATES: MORE THAN 150 CITIES, TOWNS, STAND UP AGAINST BUSH'S WAR DRIVE
By Greg Butterfield
Feb 20, 2003--"We froze our butts off for peace!" That's how one of the 3,000 anti-war protesters in Madison, Wis., described the local action that was part of "The World Says No To War" weekend Feb. 15-16.
It was a sentiment echoed all over the United States as record numbers of people turned out in over 150 cities, towns and villages to fight back against the Bush administration's war plans.
Across the country, the weekend saw some of the worst winter weather in years. But flooding rains, blizzards and frigid temperatures couldn't stop the growing anti-war sentiment from spilling into the streets.
Media attention focused on the impressive rallies of hundreds of thousands in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and many European capitals. But the multitude of protests held in all parts of the United States was also important.
Organizers from many cities and towns reported the biggest local demonstrations since the Vietnam War era.
In most big cities various anti-war coalitions, including International ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), Not In Our Name, and United for Peace and Justice, worked together to build demonstrations. The plethora of protest shows there is fertile ground for these coalitions to build a powerful anti-war movement in conjunction with local groups all over the country.
ORGANIZED ON SHORT NOTICE
Probably no one will ever know exactly how many demonstrations were held Feb. 15-16. In many places grassroots protests took shape almost spontaneously, over the course of a week or even a few days, as word spread about the international days of protest.
Thousands made the trek to the big regional demonstrations on the East and West coasts. Activists in some areas sent contingents while also holding local rallies. Buffalo, N.Y., groups sent four buses to the New York City rally, but also held a local action of 300 people. Speakers there were nearly drowned out by the sound of supportive drivers honking car horns.
Others learned about the big marches too late to arrange transportation. But they felt compelled to take action.
They came out 1,500 strong, in downtown Wausau, a small city in Wisconsin, despite heavily publicized police preparations for "riot control."
In Butler County, Pa., 150 people rallied in Diamond Park. Local organizer Bill Neel said, "Maybe people are starting to realize they can control their own destinies."
Forty people in Bowling Green, Ky., braved rain, cold and police harassment to make their statement.
At the State Capitol in Raleigh, N.C., 5,000 rallied and marched. "We have a government that is out of control," said Wendy Wexberg of Raleigh. "I don't know if I remember such a mixture of ethnicity in the early days of the Vietnam War protests, such a mixture of ages."
About 4,000 held a peaceful march in Colorado Springs, Colo. Police fired two rounds of tear gas at the crowd and arrested several demonstrators.
At the State House in Montpelier, Vt., 600 people braved 0-degree F weather to make their voices heard. Florida saw protests in some 20 cities--numbering from 200 in Key West to 1,500 in Sarasota.
That's just a sampling of the impressive actions held in smaller cities and towns.
RECORD NUMBERS TURN OUT
In Seattle, birthplace of the U.S. anti-globalization movement, some 55,000 protesters converged on the Seattle Center to demand: "Stop the war on Iraq! Stop the war on immigrants!"
Local activists called it a record turnout for an anti-war protest. It drew many families with children, union members, religious groups, seniors, youths and immigrants. After the rally they marched nearly three miles to the Immigration and Naturalization Services Detention Center to show solidarity with the many immigrants imprisoned there.
Texans, too, turned out in historic numbers. An anti-war protest was held in every major city in George W. Bush's home state.
Austin, the Texas state capital, saw its biggest rally and march ever- more than 10,000 people. Five thousand demonstrated in Dallas, while another 5,000 marched from Houston's Federal Building to a local park. The Houston action was dedicated to Native activist Standing Deer, who was killed there in January.
On the U.S./Mexico border, marchers from El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico, met on the International Bridge.
Up to 15,000 people took to the streets of Philadelphia for that city's biggest anti-war event in over 30 years.
In Minneapolis 10,000 marched.
In Detroit 5,000 marched downtown to the Cobo Center, and 1,200 attended an indoor rally to hear Auto Workers union officials, Yemeni community leaders, Rep. John Conyers and other anti-war voices.
In Chicago over 7,000 people demonstrated in bitter cold. On the initiative of a mass meeting of the Pakistani community, the rally and march were held in a predominately South Asian neighborhood, in solidarity with the embattled Muslim and immigrant communities.
Pakistani groups staged the action in cooperation with the Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism and 100 other endorsing organizations. There were signs in Urdu, Arabic, Turkish, Korean, Spanish and English.
In Cleveland, where temperatures also bottomed out near zero, over 1,000 people turned out to hear the head of the Cleveland Federation of Labor, prominent clergy members, Arab and African American community leaders speak out against the war. A moment of silence was held for legendary local activist and Workers World Party founding member Ted Dostal, who had died days before at age 96. After the rally a contingent from the newly formed Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgendered People for Peace led off the march, chanting, "Don't ask, don't tell, war and bigots go to hell."
In San Diego, 7,000 people attended a morning protest at the Federal Building called by the local Peace & Justice Coalition. Over 1,000 turned out later that afternoon for a march, organized by ANSWER, to a Navy installation . San Diego County hosted no fewer than five anti-war protests Feb. 15.
Atlanta activists found a creative way to spread their anti-war message. They formed a Peace Caravan, with chants ringing out from a sound system affixed to a flatbed truck, a bus draped in anti-war banners, and dozens of other vehicles. They traveled to six of the city's busiest shopping districts, including Decatur Square, where 250 people met the caravan to declare a "No War Zone."
With reports from Jane Cutter, Martha Grevatt, Kris Hamel, Bev Heistand, Bob McCubbin, Dianne Mathiowetz, Lou Paulsen, Betsey Piette and Gloria Rubac.
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