GLOBAL DAY OF PROTEST: 250 CITIES ACROSS U.S. TELL GOV'T: STOP THE WAR & OCCUPATIONS

NEW YORK

March 25, 2004--More than 250 U.S. cities took part in the March 20 Global Day of Action protesting Pentagon wars and occupations. The biggest demonstration was in New York, where 100,000 people marched and rallied.

They came from as far away as Alaska and the Azores, marching with the power of a unified anti-war movement. Crowds filled 40 blocks in midtown Manhattan, chanting, "Occupation is a crime, from Iraq to Palestine!" and "Bring the troops home now!"

The event was initiated by the International ANSWER--Act Now to Stop War and End Racism--Coalition, and United for Peace and Justice.

During the ANSWER segment of the rallies, Brian Becker, a co-director of the International Action Center and member of the ANSWER Steering Committee, applauded the courage of the Muslim community in turning out for the march, given the current repression, surveillance and raids.

Palestinian flags flew, and speakers in this segment included Ihab Darwish, Free Palestine Alliance; Lamis Deek, Al-Awda Palestine Right to Return Coalition; Imam Asharaf Uz Zaman, Islamic Circle of North America; Ismail Kamal, Muslim Students Association; Mahdi Bray, Muslim American Society and Freedom Foundation; and Waleed Bader, Arab Muslim American Federation/National Council of Arab Americans.

(credit: A.N.S.W.E.R. website)

Speakers also called for determined opposition to U.S. imperialism's role in Haiti, Venezuela, the Philippines and Korea. Attorney Leonard Weinglass called for support for the Cuban Five, convicted and imprisoned in the United States for protecting Cuba against imperialist- financed aggression. Teresa Gutierrez of the International Action Center appealed to the crowd to boycott Coca-Cola, implicated in the assassination of workers unionizing its Colombian plants.

Brenda Stokely, chair of New York City Labor Against the War and president of AFSCME District Council 1707, vowed, "We're going to bring down the imperialist powers who think they have the right to slaughter our children!" Larry Holmes of the International Action Center spoke and a taped message from political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal urged resistance to racist oppression, police occupation and imperialist oppression.

In the UFPJ segment of the rallies, speakers included Suheir Hamma of Def Poetry Jam; Sinan Antoon, an Iraqi filmmaker; David Cline, national president of Veterans for Peace; and Todd Ensign of Citizen Soldier. Fernando Suarez del Solar of Military Families Speak Out said: "Bush lied. Who died? My son."

Also featured were Tony Benn, former member of the British Parliament, representing Stop the War UK; New York City Councilmember Bill Perkins; and U.S. Rep. Major Owens. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, currently running for president, asked the crowd to "heal the heart of the world" through peace. The John Kerry campaign, unlike Kucinich's, did not bring signs or banners to the march.

Dorothy Zellner, a Jewish activist, advocated an end to Israeli occupation, and Ziad Abu Rish of SUSTAIN--Stop U.S. Tax Aid to Israel Now--supported Palestinian self-determination.

On the march, many carried rainbow peace flags as well as homemade signs with slogans like: "Capitalism is terrorism," "Halliburton is not my government," "My taxes are not venture capital," and "Bush cares about troops like Perdue cares about chickens."

International solidarity was visible: There were contingents of Haitians and Venezuelans, Zapatistas from Mexico, and Irish-Americans Against the War. Members of the 1930s Abraham Lincoln Brigade that fought against fascism in Spain marched. Labor unionists included Labor Against the War, United University Professions of SUNY, and a huge force from the Professional Staff Congress of CUNY, representatives of Service Employees/1199, and Communications Workers Local 1180, New York administrative employees.

The Stonewall Warriors from Boston chanted, "Come out against war and racism," and the women of the Inter national Action Center of New York carried "Fight back!" signs emblazoned with the upraised fist of women's liberation.

--Minnie Bruce Pratt

SAN FRANCISCO

More than 50,000 people took to the streets in San Francisco. The front of the march was filled with banners and signs in English, Spanish and Arabic. Many young Palestinians were on the lead banner.

Unions also turned out in force, including a big contingent from International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10 and the local's famed drill team. The ILWU shut down the port of Oakland/San Francisco for the day to oppose the occupation of Iraq.

(credit: A.N.S.W.E.R. website)

Students, facing drastic cuts in education and tuition increases, mobilized from all over northern California. Contingents included many veterans and veterans' groups, activists for same-sex marriage equality, a large and vocal group of Asians and Pacific Islanders Against the War, and a group of Koreans carrying a banner reading "No war on Korea."

The march and rally were initiated by ANSWER, San Francisco's main anti- war group. Other sponsoring organizations included the Free Palestine Alliance, Vanguard Foundation, ILWU Local 10, Bay Area United Against War and Muslim Student Association.

Speakers covered a range of struggles. Pierre Labossiere of the Haiti Action Committee described the dangerous situation caused by the U.S. abduction of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Alicia Jrapko of the International Action Center spoke in Spanish about the U.S. government's efforts to topple the elected leaders of Haiti and Venezuela.

Gloria La Riva of the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five pointed to Cuba as an example of how the world can be when the people take power and run society for themselves. "It's an example to embattled Haiti, to Venezuela, to Mexico, to countries all over the world," she said.

ANSWER steering committee member Richard Becker described the expansion of the U.S. empire even as "they are gutting every social program, attacking affirmative action and women's rights, attacking civil rights and civil liberties, proposing a constitutional amendment to tell people what kind of relationships they must and must not live in."

Other speakers included ILWU Local 10 President Henry Graham, actor Woody Harrelson, United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta, San Francisco Bay View Editor Willie Ratcliff, and war resister Stephen Funk.

LeiLani Dowell, a member of Workers World Party who is running for Congress on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket, told the crowd that a year ago people had marched in San Francisco, calling this a war for empire. "A year later, the U.S. is not only occupying Iraq and continuing to fund the occupation in Palestine, it is now occupying Haiti, the first Black republic, and looking towards Cuba and Venezuela."

--Brenda Sandburg and Bill Hackwell

LOS ANGELES

More than 20,000 anti-war activists flooded the streets of Los Angeles on March 20, filling 14 blocks as the march wound its way through busy Hollywood.

U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, just returned from Jamaica where she helped return kidnapped Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to the Caribbean, spoke at the opening and closing rallies.

Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic and Kimberly Huff, whose husband is a GI recently returned from Iraq, led the march. The Free Palestine Alliance and the Coalition in Solidarity with Haiti were also in the front.

(credit: A.N.S.W.E.R. website)

Protesters embraced calls for solidarity with liberation struggles in Iraq, Palestine, Haiti, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Korea, Colombia, the Philippines, West Papua and everywhere. Demands for marriage rights for all and an end to attacks on immigrants were greeted with thunderous applause. The crowd fully supported the fight for vitally needed social services and demanded an end to racism.

There was broad support for labor, including praise for the strength of the grocery workers in their recent struggle here against greedy transnational corporations.

A lively Free the Cuban Five contingent participated in the march. Socialist Cuba's continued resistance to U.S. aggression received enthusiastic support.

Muna Coobtee of the Free Palestine Alliance and the International ANSWER Coalition, a principal organizer of the March 20 demonstration here, summed up the Global Day of Protest: "It's of such incredible significance that the demands of these massive demonstrations are strongly anti-imperialist and powerfully anti-discrimination."

John Parker of Los Angeles ANSWER enlivened the rally crowd: "I want to thank the Haitian people for their slave revolution making oppressed people everywhere, especially Black people here in the U.S., aware of the tremendous power we can wield in fighting injustice. Native, Black, Latino and all nationally oppressed people here have tremendous potential power."

Joe Delaplaine received enthusiastic cheers when he said, "Not every lesbian, gay, bi and trans person has to get married or wants to, but we all deserve equal access and we deserve the right to decide for ourselves."

--John Beacham

CHICAGO

Some 10,000 people marched in Chicago despite a vicious campaign of intimidation by the city, its police and the corporate media. Organized by the March 20 Anti-War Coalition, a broad group of organizations and individuals, the protest also demanded an end to racist profiling and defended civil liberties and immigrant rights.

The organizers wanted to bring their message to the public by marching down busy Michigan Avenue. The police refused to grant a permit. Mayor Richard Daley put 2,000 police in full riot gear on the street. This same Democratic administration arrested nearly 800 demonstrators last March 20 when 15,000 turned out to protest the invasion of Iraq.

(credit: A.N.S.W.E.R. website)

The police closed the avenue for over three hours in a massive show of force. Jesse Jackson of PUSH stood with demonstrators, demanding their right to march unimpeded.

In the end the march proceeded down Clark Street. Even there the large forces of police tried to provoke and intimidate the marchers. This demonstration had big contingents from the immigrant communities in Chicago and surrounding areas. March organizers made their safety, and that of the demonstrators as a whole, a priority.

The Palestinian movement played a very prominent role in the march and rally.

Speakers included Pearlie Stuckey of International ANSWER and the Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism, whose soldier son was in Iraq; Luis Cardona, a Colombian trade union organizer; Susan Nussbaum, a disabled activist from Access Living; Congres sional Black Caucus member Danny Davis; Kathy Kelly, Voices in the Wilderness; Bill Davis, president of Machinists Local 701 and of Vietnam Veterans Against the War; and Andy Thayer of the Chicago Anti-Bashing Network and Equal Marriage Now.

--Bill Massey

SAN DIEGO

Anti-war marchers, 4,000 strong, converged on Balboa Park. The San Diego M20 Coalition sponsored the day's activities. This coalition, formed by the San Diego Peace & Justice Coalition and San Diego ANSWER and endorsed by over 40 local organizations, represents an important step forward for the progressive movement in this military town.

The coalition united around the slogans "Stop the war! End occupation of Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan." After the U.S.-sponsored coup, Haiti was added.

(credit: Indymedia)

Joseph Red Bear of the American Indian Movement opened the rally, followed by the mothers of two soldiers killed in Iraq and Zahi Damuni of Al-Awda Palestinian Right of Return. Carl Muhammad of San Diego ANSWER related the sorry history of United Nations cooperation with U.S. aggression. Modest Brown of the California Coalition for Women Prisoners and Bob McCubbin of Workers World Party spoke on the issue of same-sex marriage. A message from Mumia Abu-Jamal was played.

The next anti-war, anti-occupation action in San Diego will be on April 3. San Diego ANSWER and the California Coalition Against Poverty have called for a march on the 32nd Street Naval Base to demand: Bring the troops home now!

--Gloria Verdieu

PHILADELPHIA

More than 3,000 people demonstrated in Philadelphia. Along the route of march an Arab and Palestinian contingent joined in. Many onlookers also joined the march.

At the National Constitution Center the demonstration was welcomed by a contingent from South Jersey that had marched over the Ben Franklin Bridge.

(credit: A.N.S.W.E.R. website)

Rally speakers addressed the importance of building a mass movement to oppose the war and not relying on candidate John Kerry, with his pro-war history. Others raised the danger of U.S. expansion in Latin America. Dr. Franz Latour of the Haitian Community Center was the keynote speaker. The program included labor, health-care and community activists.

--Betsey Piette

ATLANTA

Some 500 people, accompanied by a contingent of drummers, took their anti-war message to the streets of Atlanta. The Israeli Consulate was the starting point and the route wound through midtown. The demonstration was led by an 18-foot flatbed truck decorated with banners and Iraqi, Haitian, Venezuelan and peace flags.

High school and college students were high-energy chant leaders: "No justice? No peace! U.S. out of the Middle East!" "From Iraq to Palestine, occupation is a crime." And "One two three four, we won't fight your racist war!"

In the march was Patricia Roberts, the mother of Jamaal Addison, a U.S. soldier killed in Iraq days after the invasion started. Surrounded by a dozen family members, including her son's child, Roberts told the attentive crowd: "I don't want any other families to go through what I've gone through this past year. I don't want any more bloodshed. I want the troops to come home."

Beth Corrie spoke eloquently about her cousin Rachel Corrie's support of the Palestinian people's struggle against U.S.-backed occupation. Rachel Corrie was killed by an Israeli bulldozer on March 16, 2003, in the Gaza Strip.

(credit: http://www.clandestino.at/)

Elaine Brown, former chair of the Black Panther Party, energized the crowd with her call to identify, organize and mobilize against the system that produces war, exploits people, destroys the environment and imprisons millions.

Other speakers included members of the Palestinian, Haitian and Latino communities, and representatives of union, high school, peace and community groups.

--Dianne Mathiowetz

Hundreds also marched and rallied in many other cities--from Buffalo, N.Y., to Reno, Nev., Laramie, Wyo., and Milwau kee. In North Carolina, 150 people attended the Charlotte ANSWER chapter's rally.

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