------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the April 3, 2003 issue of Workers World newspaper -------------------------
U.S. DEMONSTRATIONS KEEP UP THE PRESSURE
By Monica Moorehead
The U.S. military's "shock and awe" bombing of Baghdad is a strategy to terrorize the Iraqi people into surrendering to U.S. colonial occupation and to psychologically paralyze and demoralize the worldwide anti-war movement.
But not only is the Iraqi population heroically resisting this brutal invasion, the anti-war movement worldwide is do ing everything it can to resist the war. And despite the growing number of U.S. military casualties and prisoners of war, people in cities large and small in this country are demonstrating against this war.
Coordinated demonstrations took place all over the U.S. on March 22 that brought out hundreds of thousands against the invasion of Iraq.
More than 250,000 people took to the streets of New York City. The march was called by United for Peace and Justice. Many contingents, including one from International ANSWER--the Act Now to Stop War and End Racism-- coali tion, made up the march which span ned more than 40 blocks and took more than four hours to wind its way down Broadway to Washington Square Park.
New York's "finest" attempted to close down the march at 4 p.m. A tense confrontation ensued. Thousands of cops in full riot gear began arresting people, picking them off one by one. The crowd, including people who had just been enjoying a spring day in the park, chanted "Let them go" and "Arrest Bush!" More than 90 people were reportedly arrested and many were pepper-sprayed by the police.
In Atlanta, 1,500 anti-war activists marched to the international headquarters of Cable Network News. The march took to the streets without a permit and stopped traffic in front of the CNN building. Continuing to focus on the role of the media in this war, marchers passed by the Atlanta Constitution newspaper before ending up at a rally in Woodruff Park.
'NO BUSINESS AS USUAL'
Since the actual military attack on Iraq began, anti-war groups have disrupted traffic, blocked government building entrances and other campaigns of resistance to emphasize that there is no business as usual when an imperialist war erupts.
In San Francisco, there was direct action on March 20 and 75,000 people took to the streets on March 22. (See related article.)
Also on March 22, well over 3,000 people shouting, "Peace! Now!" took part in the largest march in years in the major port city of Long Beach, Calif. The rally and march were co-sponsored by the Long Beach Area Peace Network and the ANSWER coalition of L.A.
At about the same time in Los Angeles, some 20,000 to 25,000 anti-war demonstrators marched without a permit from Hollywood and Vine to nearby CNN headquarters for a militant rally to express the growing anger over pro-war bias in reporting by the big-business media. They chanted, "CNN, NBC--put our protests on TV!" Signs read: "PNN--Pentagon News Network."
After marching back to Hollywood and Vine, they resisted police efforts to push them out of the intersection for another hour. People were in no mood to be rushed off the street, and held their ground in spite of a number of unprovoked arrests, and threats of tear gas and rubber bullets.
The demonstration was called by the ANSWER coalition, Coalition for World Peace, Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace, and Global Women's Strike.
In Chicago, 15,000 anti-war protesters took the streets on March 20. Police illegally detained more than 750 in the streets for hours, before arresting them. Those arrested report they were denied food, water, sleep and bathroom facilities. They were finally released on the morning of March 22. Some of those arrested had been passersby who weren't even part of the demonstration.
Some 80 people in Chicago carried out civil disobedience at the federal building on March 21. Later that day, 4,000 marched through downtown. A day later, 1,500 people turned out for an emergency demonstration.
The Western Massachusetts Stop the War coalition organized the largest anti-war protest at the Westover Air Reserve Base to date: 2,000 marched; 55 protesters were arrested as they lay down or sat on the ground in front of the base gate. This base provides C-5 cargo planes that transport soldiers and supplies to the Middle East.
On March 20, more than 1,000 students from Seattle Central Community College, University of Washington and numerous area high schools walked out in Seattle, to protest the war. They joined some 3,000 other anti- war activists at the Federal Building for a rally and march.
Police attacked a peace encampment with pepper spray on the State Capitol campus in Olympia, Wash. Five hundred protesters blocked I-5 freeway in Bellingham.
In Philadelphia, more than 100 people were arrested as they blocked entrances to the Federal Building on March 20. Some 800 supporters cheered on the anti-war resisters. In the afternoon, hundreds braved driving, cold rain to protest at City Hall and the Federal Building. More than 2,000 gathered on the steps of the Art Museum for a march to City Hall on March 23. Bishop Thomas Gumbleton was the featured speaker at a rally organized by School of the Americas Watch.
In San Diego, a peacemakers' refugee camp was formed on March 22 in front of the Federal Building. The camp was described as "an organized nonviolent direct action designed to create a safe space for demonstrators to feel a sense of community." These young people have vowed to stay in front of the Federal Building until the war stops.
The Old Women's Project organized a march of 80 veiled women dressed in black, each holding pictures of Iraqi women and children, which was seen by many shoppers in downtown San Diego. Later, 1,000 people surrounded the Federal Building and held an anti-war rally.
In Richmond, Va., 2,000 rallied on March 23.
Other areas organizing ongoing anti-war protests include Buffalo; New Paltz and 60 other towns and villages in Mid-Hudson Valley, N.Y.; Houston and Austin, Texas; Detroit and Lansing, Mich.; Hartford, Conn.; Boston; Baltimore; and many more cities.
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