------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the Oct. 10, 2002 issue of Workers World newspaper -------------------------
THOUSANDS DEMAND: "FREE PALESTINE, NO WAR ON IRAQ" By Brenda Sandburg and Saul Kanowitz San Francisco Resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the Bush administration's plans to attack Iraq, 6,000 people marched through the streets of San Francisco on Sept. 28. Amid a sea of Palestinian flags, they chanted "Free, free Palestine," and "Self-determination, not U.S. domination." The San Francisco demonstration--and a corresponding protest the following day in Chicago--was held on the second anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Intifada and the 20th anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacre. In 1982, the Lebanese Phalange movement, with the complicity of Ariel Sharon's Israeli military, murdered more than 2,000 Palestinians. This Sept. 28, buses, carpools and vans came from across the state to join the march, including six buses from Los Angeles. Palestinians, anti-war activists, trade unionists and students showed their determined support for the Palestinian people. The action was also part of a growing campaign around the country to stop the Bush administration from launching another war against Iraq. Many speakers called for people to get involved to help build a gigantic anti-war protest Oct. 26. Those speaking at the rallies represented many struggles, including that of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which was locked out by the shipping companies the day before. Representatives from the Colombian and Filipino liberation struggles also spoke at the event, which was sponsored by the Justice in Palestine Coalition. Rally co-chairs were Eyad Kishawi of the Free Palestine Alliance, Richard Becker of the International ANSWER coalition, and Leila Qutami of the General Union of Palestinian Students. Michel Shehadeh of the Free Palestine Alliance said Palestinian people are being murdered on a daily basis by the Israel army's killing machine. "But the Israeli government is losing because the Palestinian people have decided it is better to die than capitulate to Zionist oppression and we will stand by them. "Sharon said Palestinians will be defeated in 100 days and it's been 720 days today. They will continue if it takes another 100 years," Shehadeh said. Richard Becker, West Coast director of the International Action Center and a member of ANSWER's national steering committee, said the struggles in both Palestine and Iraq are against colonialism. He said the United States tells the Iraqis they have to allow 50,000 troops to occupy their country to enforce inspections. "No sovereign country is going to accept that or could accept it," Becker said. "That is why we should not raise the slogan, 'Inspections, not war.' That's like saying 'Sanc tions, not war' during the 1991 Gulf War. Our slogan should be, 'No war against Iraq.'" Only the intervention of the people in the political process can stop the war, Becker said. "Fidel Castro said that every social system thinks itself eternal until history teaches it otherwise. Our job is to build the movement that teaches it otherwise." ILWU Local 10 official Jack Heyman called for support of the ILWU in its "life and death struggle against the employers and the U.S. government." Heyman noted that Local 10 had passed a resolution that calls for Israel to withdraw from the West Bank and Gaza and for the right of self- determination for the Palestinian people. He said the ILWU Local 10 Executive Board also took the position that the labor movement should oppose the war against Iraq. Alexander Cockburn, a journalist with CounterPunch, said the Bush administration's desire for war is all about oil. "If they have a U.S. puppet in Iraq like they do in Saudi Arabia they will control enough oil that they can set prices," Cockburn said. "We say no to world domination by a bully, braggart, mad country out of control." Other speakers at the opening and closing rallies included Kathy Kelly, Voices in the Wilderness; Nancy Hormachea, International Solidarity Movement; Dina Adeeb, Arab Women's Solidarity Association; Leilani Dowell, Committee for a New Colombia; Hatem Bazian, Al Qalam Institute; Deej Gold, Queers Undermining Israeli Terror (QUIT); MC Ettinger, Jews for a Free Palestine; and Bob Mandel, Mobilization to Free Mumia. - END - (Copyright Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but changing it is not allowed. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe [EMAIL PROTECTED] Support the voice of resistance http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php) ------------------ This message is sent to you by Workers World News Service. To subscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Send administrative queries to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
