[Peace-discuss] Fwd:[ANSWER]: 30,000 demonstrate in DC to say OCCUPATION IS

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30,000 demonstrate in Washington DC to say
OCCUPATION IS NOT LIBERATION - NO WAR FOR EMPIRE

Demonstrations in sixty countries on April 12 oppose U.S.  invasion and occupation of Iraq

30,000 demonstrators marched in central Washington, DC  today against the invasion and occupation of Iraq by U.S.  and British forces, according to the Washington DC police  authorities. The demonstration, called by the 
International A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, coincided with 
coordinated anti-war actions in the capital cities of more  than 60 countries around the world.

D.C. police forces carried out a series of unprovoked 
attacks against the demonstrators, using clubs and pepper  spray as they assaulted people who were chanting "Stop the  U.S. War Machine from Iraq to Korea to the Philippines."

Tens of thousands of people in Iraq have been killed or 
maimed in the onslaught carried out by the U.S. and 
British forces since March 19. The U.S. corporate media  has portrayed the military actions as the liberation of 
Iraq. We know that the real motivation the White House and  the Pentagon was to conquer Iraq and to put into place a  U.S. military dictatorship followed by a proxy or puppet 
regime in Baghdad.

The demonstration today in Washington DC was noteworthy  because tens of thousands of demonstrators in the United  States came together to condemn the invasion of Iraq as a  war for empire.

Iraq possesses 10 percent of the world's known oil 
supplies. The U.S. is moving quickly to plunder the land 
and especially the natural resources of Iraq for the 
benefit of U.S.-based oil and banking corporate elite.

The Bush administration was engaged in a strategy of 
endless war that would further target Syria, Iran, 
southern Lebanon, Palestine, North Korea, the Philippines,  Colombia, Zimbabwe, and others countries that sought to  achieve national liberation and independence or sovereign  control over their own resources.

Although the U.S. corporate-dominated media has proclaimed  that the U.S.-British invasion of Iraq and accompanying 
slaughter of Iraqis is a victory, people all over the 
world took to the streets today proving the continuation  the massive peace and social-justice movement that swiftly  emerged in recent months as a direct response to the Bush  administration's war drive.

Demonstrations against the war took place in the following  countries:

Argentina, Australia (April 13), Austria, Bangladesh, 
Belgium, Brazil, Burma (Myanmar), Canada, Chile, Crotia,  Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ecuador, 
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Haifa, 
Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, 
Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Mexico, Marocco, Mongolia,  Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan,  Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, 
Russia, Scotland, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, 
Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Turkey, UK, U.S., 
Uruguay (April 11), Venezuela, Yemen.

Below are links to articles about and photographs of the  demonstrations:

- Washington Post article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14311-2003Apr12.html

- Agence France-Presse (AFP) article on DC demonstration http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20030412/ts_alt_afp/iraq_war_us_imf_demos_030412181608

- Agence France-Presse (AFP) article on demonstrations  around the world
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20030412/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_war_demos_030412224853

- Photo Gallery - DC and international demonstrations
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?p=news&g=events/wl/102602iraqprotests&i=index&e=1&tmpl=sl&ns=&l=1&m=&c=

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