ANSWER Press Release: March 12, 2003
As World Teeters on the Brink of War... MASS ANTI-WAR PROTESTS PLANNED FOR THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 15TH
"NEVER MORE IMPORTANT TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST WAR THAN AT THIS MOMENT."
As political support for the Bush administration's Iraq war plan slips daily, mass emergency anti-war marches are planned across the U.S. and around the world for this Saturday, March 15. Protesters plan to surround the White House in Washington, DC, as well as march in San Francisco and Los Angeles. There will also be solidarity Emergency Actions to Stop the War actions in Spain, Greece, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the UK and cities around the world. On March 15, workers in Italy are staging an anti-war General Strike.
In San Francisco, protesters will gather for an opening rally at Civic Center Plaza at 11 am and march to Jefferson Square Park (at Turk & Laguna Streets) for a 1 pm rally. Speakers and performers will include former U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney, actors Danny Glover and Martin Sheen, and popular musical artist Michael Franti and Spearhead.
"The war-mongers in the Bush administration very much want to push through this devastating war against the Iraqi people, but they are in a major diplomatic crisis, and as anti-war sentiment around the world grows more vocal, that crisis only seems to be deepening," said Nathalie Alsop, youth & student organizer with the International A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, who is sponsoring the U.S. protests.
"We believe that there has never been a more important moment for people to come out into the streets to try to stop this war before it starts," said Gloria La Riva, a coordinator of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition in San Francisco.
Anti-war organizers have also prepared Emergency Response Protests in case the war breaks out. On the day the war breaks out, in San Francisco protesters will meet at 5 pm at Powell & Market for a march around the city. On the next business day, people are encouraged to walk-out of school or work and meet for a 12 noon rally at the San Francisco Civic Center, as well as for direct action protests at many locations downtown at 7:00 am.
For interviews or for more information, contact the International A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition at (415) 821-6545 or check the website at www.InternationalANSWER.org.
Who Is ANSWER? International A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) is a national coalition of organizations and individuals who are working together to organize mass opposition from within the United States to Bush's "endless war." We formed shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy, when it became clear that the Bush administration planned to use that event as a justification to launch an aggressive war strategy around the world as well as racist attacks on civil rights and civil liberties at home. On Sept. 29, 2001, ANSWER organized the first anti-war protests against the impending U.S. assault on Afghanistan, which, despite widespread intimidation, brought out over 50,000 people on both coasts. Since then, ANSWER has grown to thousands of endorsers and over 100 organizing centers around the country. Recent ANSWER-sponsored demonstrations in October and January have ballooned to over 200,000 people in San Francisco and over 500,000 in Washington, DC - the biggest actions since the Vietnam war.
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