Millions Take to the Streets Around the World in the March 20 Global Day of Action

Dear VoteNoWar Member,

On Saturday, March 20, millions of people around the world came into the streets as part of the Global Day of Action to “Bring the Troops Home Now” and “End Colonial Occupation from Iraq to Palestine to Haiti and everywhere."

In the United States – one of more than 50 countries that held protests – demonstrations took place in over 250 cities, including major regional actions of 100,000 in New York City, 50,000 in San Francisco, 20,000 in Los Angeles and 10,000 in Chicago. The turnout at all of these demonstrations far exceeded the expectations of the organizers and is a powerful rejection of the Bush administration's criminal war and occupation of Iraq. Arab, Palestinian and Muslim communities marched side by side with US military families in a showing of unity against occupation from Iraq to Palestine and elsewhere.

It was a truly global day of people of action. Internationally millions marched in coordinated actions around the world. What a remarkable display of unity, of hope. The people rather than the politicians offer the only credible, principled and truthful counter-point to the madness and militarism generated from a White House whose vision of the future is endless war.

Every VoteNoWar member should feel proud about the success of the March 20 mass actions. Tens of thousands of VoteNoWar members volunteered, participated directly and generously provided urgently needed donations. March 20 was such an incredible success because of the collective involvement of all of us.

One year ago, the people of the world mobilized to prevent the Bush administrations planned unilateral war. People of conscience acted to stop a war that would lead to the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent people both in Iraq and among US GI's. The death toll each week continues to mount as a grim reminder of that reality. The inhumanity of the Bush leadership grouping is stunning even by the cynical standards of the "political establishment." Their proven willingness to cavalierly sacrifice human life in the pursuit of empire tells us all that we must act because they will continue to do so until they are stopped.

General Tommy Franks,who was Bush and Rumsfeld's chief of central command in Iraq during the war last year, stated at a Chamber of Commerce event in Kansas recently that he believed the deaths of U.S. service men and women in Iraq so far were "absolutely not" too high a price to pay. He added, "If it costs 500 [lives] that's OK, or 5,000, OK, or 50,000 that's OK with me." (Salina Journal January 29, 2004) This is the same General, who, when asked about the number of Iraqi people killed by the U.S. war, stated, "We don't do body counts. " General Franks and Bush and Rumsfeld might not "do body counts" but the families of military personnel and Iraqi families are faced with the immeasurable human suffering caused by the loss of a loved one.

The March 20 mass protests were a complete repudiation of the White House and Pentagon agenda. They received world-wide press coverage, much of it favorable. The entire front page of the New York Daily News on March 21 was emblazoned with a full page photograph of a sea of protestors marching through mid-town Manhattan. The headline over the picture was one word: "Peace!" To see more photographs, from actions around the world, go to: http://www.VoteNoWar.org .

Congratulations to all the VoteNoWar members who made March 20 events so successful by organizing buses and car caravans, handing out leaflets, putting up posters, planning rallies, and who have returned from the demonstrations to redouble their efforts to continue this work in every neighborhood, city and town throughout the United States in the months ahead and to bring an end to the program of endless war and occupation.

Please support the movement for justice and peace. Your help is urgently needed to keep this important work going and to take the next steps. Build on the momentum of March 20 by making a donation online through our secure server by going to http://www.VoteNoWar.org/donate.html , where you can also get information for writing a check.

All of Us at VoteNoWar.org