Press Release from the Organizers of the March 20 Anti-War Protest

Statement from the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition March 20, 2004

The March 20 demonstration in New York City far exceeded the expectations of the march organizers. Chanting "Occupation is a crime from Iraq to Palestine" and "Bring the troops home now," more than 100,000 people marched. Starting at 23rd and Madison, the march filled 45 blocks through midtown Manhattan, north on 6th Avenue to 40th Street and back to the original rally site. The demonstrators were so numerous that the front of the march almost hit the back of the march and had to come to a fifteen minute stop when it was returning to the rally site in order to allow the end of the march to proceed forward.

The demonstration was initiated by the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) and United for Peace and Justice, the two major anti-war coalitions in the U.S. A large number of Arab and Muslim organizations co-organized the event.

"This sea of protest in the heart of Manhattan sends a powerful message to the war-makers and their corporate backers," stated Mara Verheyden-Hilliard of the Partnership for Civil Justice and member of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition steering committee. "The streets of New York City were filled with people united in their opposition to the Bush program of war, conquest and empire. Members of the Arab and Muslim community marched shoulder to shoulder with military families and veterans demanding an end to the occupation of Iraq."

On this global day of action, there were coordinated demonstrations in more than 45 countries. According to Reuters, "More than a million anti-war protesters poured into the streets of cities around the globe on Saturday's anniversary of the invasion of Iraq to demand the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops."

"The turnout at the demonstration today exceeded our expectations," stated Peta Lindsay, a national coordinator of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Student and Youth National Coalition and a student at Howard University. "People around the United States recognize that they have been lied to by the Bush Administration. When we were demonstrating in the millions a year ago, we asserted that the Bush administration was rushing to war not because Iraq posed a supposed grave and imminent danger to the United States but rather because the U.S. had imperial ambitions in this strategic and oil-rich region. We were telling the truth and Bush was lying and more and more people can see that for themselves today."

"The demonstration linked the occupations of Iraq and Palestine," said Waleed Bader of the National Council of Arab Americans. Bader, who co-chaired the opening rally, said, "The people of the Middle East are fighting against occupation and they demand their right to self-determination."

There were demonstrations in more than 250 cities and towns across the United States, including major regional demonstrations of 50,000 in San Francisco, 20,000 in Los Angeles and 10,000 Chicago.

PHOTOGRAPHS of the demonstrations in New York City, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago and Spain are available at http://www.internationalanswer.org/news/update/032004m20report.html

More photographs and reports from around the U.S. and the world will be available soon at www.InternationalANSWER.org

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Click on the below link to read the statement issued by the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition in advance of the March 20 demonstration: http://www.internationalanswer.org/news/update/032004m20.html

March 20, 2004 Photos from around the world