------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the Feb. 27, 2003 issue of Workers World newspaper -------------------------
SAN FANCISCO: 200,000 WEIGH IN TO STOP PENTAGON ASSAULT By Brenda Sandburg San Francisco More than 200,000 people marched in San Francisco on Feb. 16, loudly chanting, "No blood for oil." It was the second massive outpouring here in less than a month. Four coalitions sponsored the protest: International ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), Bay Area United Against War, United for Peace and Justice, and Not In Our Name. The protest drew students, labor unions, civil-rights activists and others. Until recently, many had never participated in a demonstration. At least 150,000 people had taken part in demonstrations throughout California the previous day--including 100,000 in Los Angeles, 10,000 in Sacramento, 10,000 in San Diego County, 4,000 in San Jose, and 4,000 in Fresno. COLORFUL, VIBRANT MARCH In San Francisco it took three hours for protesters to march 1.7 miles down Market Street from Embarcadero to the Civic Center. There were many contingents, including a people of color contingent of African Americans, Filipinos, Palestinians and others. There were veterans, labor unions, students and youths, religious groups, parents with toddlers in strollers, environmentalists and a lesbian, gay, bi and transgender group called Out Against the War. A big contingent of Native peoples from the American Indian Movement and the International Indian Treaty Council participated. The Chinese Association marched with a festive dragon. Speakers at the opening and closing rallies reflected the crowd's great diversity. Vernon Bellecourt, a longtime AIM leader, said: "Across this country Indian mothers are grieving, are sad for their children who went into the military to get an education and a better way of life, who were told 'Be all you can be.' But they didn't tell them you could be dead for a barrel of oil." Hari Dillon, from the Vanguard Foundation and a march organizer, was cheered when he said: "We say to you, President Bush: The murder of people of color around the world is a crime against humanity." Maudelle Shirek, the 91-year-old vice-mayor of Berkeley and a veteran of peace and civil rights struggles, was greeted with loud applause. "We want to end the system that makes war necessary, to end the system that sends our children to war, and to end the system that says that profit is more important than life." Organized labor participation included more than 80 unions. San Francisco Labor Council Secretary-Treasurer Walter Johnson, Trent Willis of International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10, and ILWU Local 250 President Sal Roselli were among the speakers. Sebastiana Pastor of the Free the Five Committee and attorney Leonard Weinglass talked about the case of the five Cubans imprisoned in the United States for trying to stop terrorist attacks on Cuba. Mario Santos of BAYAN and ANSWER spoke of the people's uprising in the Philippines. PALESTINE AND IRAQ Several speakers linked the struggles of the Palestinian and Iraqi peoples for self-determination. They included Elias Rashmawi of the Free Palestine Alliance, Barbara Lubin of Middle East Children's Alliance, and Kate Raphael of Women in Black and Queers Undermining Israeli Terror. Hatem Bazian, a Palestinian-American professor at the University of California at Berkeley, said, "This is not a democracy by the people or for the people; it's by corporations and for the corporations." Richard Becker, an ANSWER steering committee member, said: "It is the power of the people that has done something truly historic. The mobilization of tens of millions of people yesterday has held back the hand of those in Washington who are dying for a new war, or more properly said, who want the people of Iraq and the young people of this country to die for big oil, for colonialism, for empire." Musicians Joan Baez and Bonnie Raitt performed, along with MC Rai Nar, the Bay Area Gay Peace Chorus and the Dance Brigade. Writer Alice Walker spoke. Actor Danny Glover emceed, along with ANSWER's Gloria La Riva and Jeff Mackler of Bay Area United Against War. Other speakers included Rep. Barbara Lee, Jeremy Corbyn of the British Parliament and Stop the War Coalition, California State Sen. John Burton, the Rev. Cecil Williams, the Rev. Amos Brown of the NAACP, KPFA- Pacifica Radio representatives Miguel Molina, Joy Moore, Davey D and Dennis Bernstein, Leilani Dowell of ANSWER's student and youth committee, Riva Enteen of the National Lawyers Guild, Howard Wallace of the Senior Action Network, Rabbi Pam Frydman, Rabbi David Cooper, Tania Mayo of Not In Our Name, Andrea Buffa of United for Peace and Justice, and Lamis Andoni of the Blue Triangle Network. - 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 wwnews- [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. 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