>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >INITIAL REPORT ON IRAQ SANCTIONS PROTEST AT DEMOCRATIC >CONVENTION > >A militant rally was held outside the Democratic National Convention in >Los Angeles on Tuesday, Aug. 15 demanding an end to the war and >sanctions >against Iraq. The Associated Press, CNN, the Los Angeles Times and >other >media reported that 1,000 people participated in the protest. The rally >was co-chaired by Preston Wood, Los Angeles Coordinator, >International Action Center, and Michel Shehadeh, Western Regional >Director-American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. Shehadeh and >Wood are the Co-Chairs of Save the Iraqi Children Coalition, which >sponsored the rally. > >Among the other speakers were: > >Casey Kasem, Radio & TV personality > >Richard Becker, Western Region Coordinator-International Action >Center > >Meghan Flynn Perrault, Lafayette, CA high school student who traveled >to >Iraq in February > >Rev. James Lawson, Pastor Emeritus, Holman United Methodist >Church > >Jasser Hathout, Islamic Center of Southern California > >Sonia Tuma, American Friends Service Committee > >Blase Bonpane, Co-Director-Office of the Americas > >Alicia Jrapko, U.S.-Cuba Friendshipment Caravan > >James Lafferty, Executive Director-National Lawyers Guild > >Linda Tubach & Bob McCloskey, Save the Iraqi Children Coalition & >Fellowship of Reconciliation > >Barbara Lubin, Executive Director, Middle East Children's Alliance > >Ghaith Mahmoud, Muslim Student Association West, UCLA > >Monica Moorehead, Workers World Party Candidate for President of >the U.S. > >Magda Miller, Iraq Sanctions Challenge who introduced young people >who have defied sanctions by taking medicine to Iraq > - Nancy Mitchell, Forrest Schmidt, Sarah Sloan > >Don White, Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador > > >During a moment of silence in the rally, participants held up 250 small >coffins, each with the picture and name of an Iraqi child on it. The >coffins dramatically symbolized the number of Iraqi children who die >each day as a result of the sanctions blockade. As the rally ended at >sundown, hundreds of demonstrators carrying coffins and signs lined >the 12-foot high fence directly across the street from the Staples >Convention Center, chanting anti-sanctions slogans at the delegates. >Later, protestors lined a narrow sidewalk through which the thousands >of delegates had to pass to return to their hotels. The demonstrators >lining this gauntlet chanted slogans denouncing Gore and Bush for >being guilty of genocide in Iraq and racist executions in the U.S. > >The demonstration has received very wide national and international >media coverage. > > >International Action Center >39 West 14th Street, Room 206 >New York, NY 10011 >email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >web: www.iacenter.org >CHECK OUT THE NEW SITE www.mumia2000.org >phone: 212 633-6646 >fax: 212 633-2889 > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
