arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

Everyone should feel proud of the success of the rapid response emergency anti-war demonstrations that have taken place in the last 48 hours in more than 60 cities. The demonstrations not only brought tens of thousands of people into the streets in local rallies and marches, the actions also attracted widespread media coverage both in the United States and around the world. The emergency call to action was issued by the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism). Our message that the U.S. government must Bring the Troops Home Now and End the Occupation of Iraq was heard from East to West and North to South.

The commitment of so many people taking a stand of conscience at this critical moment pushed the message of opposition to Bush's war drive into the mass media. Rather than merely reading about the violence in Iraq, and the Pentagon and White House's belligerent statements of aggression, it is clear for the world to see that there is growing and deep opposition to their program of war and conquest coming from within the U.S. There are articles about the emergency anti-war actions in the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Oakland Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, AP, AFP, Xinhua (China), Seattle Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, and hundreds of other news outlets, as well as substantial television and radio coverage.

These demonstrations, organized on less than three days notice, are a rapid response from the people of the United States to the Bush Administration's escalation of their attacks on the people of Iraq, who are uniting in their opposition to colonial occupation. The emergency actions fell on the first anniversary of the capture of Baghdad by U.S. military forces and eleven months after George W. Bush declared major military operations were over as he stood on the deck of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier under the banner "Mission Accomplished." While Bush's approval ratings and public support for the war has dramatically declined since then, the anti-war movement has picked up strength. In addition to recent mass national demonstrations, today's emergency local actions show the breadth of grassroots organizing in the U.S. Within 24 hours of the emergency call to action, dozens of cities were announcing coordinated demonstrations between April 9 and 12.

Chanting "Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation," more than 3,000 people marched through the streets of San Francisco on Saturday April 10. In New York, 700-1000 people marched through mid-town Manhattan in rush hour on the Good Friday holiday. A protest of 500 took place at the same time in Los Angeles. In Washington DC, where 500 people marched on Saturday, people came out of restaurants, homes and businesses to join with the marchers. Chants of "Impeach Bush," echoed through Lafayette Park at the opening rally across from the White House. Also on Saturday a protest of 500 took place in Boston. Dozens of demonstrations also occurred throughout the U.S. from big cities like Chicago, San Diego, Atlanta, Birmingham, and Seattle to medium and small cities and towns including Fayetteville, AK; Ferndale, MI; Pocatello, ID; and Gettysburg, PA. In addition to the U.S. protests, coordinated actions were also held in scores of cities in countries around the world in the last two days.

The Iraqi people, especially those in Fallujah, are enduring heavy assault ordered by the Pentagon. Throughout Iraq the people are making it clear that they want the occupation to end. The actions over the weekend send a powerful message that the people in the United States oppose the Bush administration's criminal policies in Iraq, in Haiti, in Palestine and wherever people are living under foreign occupation.

It was noteworthy that in the demonstrations throughout the country in the last two days, people condemned the Bush administration for spending hundreds of billions of dollars to occupy other lands while insisting that "budget constraints" require the slashing of vitally needed social programs and funding for education, healthcare, housing and jobs.

Let's keep up the pressure. It is critical that the people of the United States continue to act in the coming weeks and months. Thousands of Iraqis and a growing number of U.S. soldiers will be killed and maimed until this criminal adventure comes to an end.

VoteNoWar - Real Grassroots Democracy