[Peace-discuss] Fwd: [ANSWER]: NY Times Editorial: Jan 18 Demonstration

[Jay Mittenthal]

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>Subject: [ANSWER]: NY Times Editorial: Jan 18 Demonstration
>Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 15:11:01 -0500
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>NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL ON JANUARY 18 DEMONSTRATION
>
>The political impact of Saturday's massive anti-war demonstrations 
>organized by International A.N.S.W.E.R. can already be seen. Today's New 
>York Times editorial, "A Stirring in the Nation," (see below) reflects 
>that the anti-war movement represents millions of people in the United 
>States and cannot be discounted. The movement has shattered the myth -- 
>conjured by politicians; by the media, who have dutifully echoed Bush's 
>calls for war; and by those who profit from war -- that there is a 
>consensus of support in the United States for Bush's war of aggression 
>against Iraq.
>Now, even the New York Times, which has an editorial policy of support for 
>the Bush Administration's goals in Iraq, cannot deny the breadth and 
>strength of the movement that you and so many thousands have built.
>
>Today's NYT editorial signifies that a growing section of the political 
>establishment fears the dynamic rise of the U.S. anti-war movement, and is 
>deeply concerned that Bush's rush towards war will have a destabilizing 
>impact on the political system as a whole.
>
>The editorial also reflects what we have said all along: it is the 
>opposition of the people of the United States and the world that 
>constitutes the single biggest obstacle to the Bush Administration as it 
>rushes towards war.
>
>The rising tide of the anti-war movement cannot be ignored. Half a million 
>people braved the coldest weather of the year in a march in Washington, 
>D.C. Over 200,000 demonstrated at the A.N.S.W.E.R. demonstration in San 
>Francisco, and large crowds gathered in local January 18 actions in cities 
>including more than 20,000 in Portland, 5,000 in Tucson, 4,000 in 
>Albuquerque, and in many other cities. Hundreds of thousands more joined 
>demonstrations in over 30 countries.
>Now is the time for the movement to intensify activity at the local and 
>regional level as part of worldwide anti-war movement. On January 18, the 
>A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition called for a nationally coordinated day of local 
>protests on Wednesday, January 29, the day following Bush's 
>state-of-the-union address, which is likely to be a 'war speech.'
>
>On January 18, the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition called for the U.S. movement to 
>support the call issued from the European movement for mass anti-war 
>demonstrations on February 15. There will be demonstrations in thousands 
>of cities across the country and around the world on February 15. 
>A.N.S.W.E.R. joins with UFPJ and hundreds of other organizations who will 
>be mobilizing for the NYC action. The February 15 protest will be part of 
>the Week of Anti-War Resistance from February 13 to February 21 (go to 
>http://www.internationalanswer.org/campaigns/f15/index.html ).
>
>We need your help to keep this movement strong as we build on the 
>accomplishments of January 18. The A.N.S.W.E.R. coalition relies on the 
>generous donations of individuals like you to sustain its campaigns. At 
>this critical moment, we ask that you contribute what you can to keep the 
>momentum that we have all build together. We are making a difference. You 
>can make tax-deductible online donations to International A.N.S.W.E.R. at 
>http://www.internationalanswer.org/donate.html and to A.N.S.W.E.R.'s 
>VoteNoWar Campaign at http://www.votenowar.org/donate.html. If you prefer 
>to contribute by check, our address is available at the same web pages.
>
>
>********************
>
>
>TODAY'S NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL
>January 20, 2003
>A Stirring in the Nation
>
>A largely missing ingredient in the nascent debate about invading Iraq 
>showed up on the streets of major cities over the weekend as crowds of 
>peaceable protesters marched in a demand to be heard. They represented 
>what appears to be a large segment of the American public that remains 
>unconvinced that the Iraqi threat warrants the use of military force at 
>this juncture.
>
>Denouncing the war plan as an administration idée fixe that will undermine 
>America's standing in the world, stir unrest in the Mideast and damage the 
>American economy, the protesters in Washington massed on Saturday for what 
>police described as the largest antiwar rally at the Capitol since the 
>Vietnam era. It was impressive for the obvious mainstream roots of the 
>marchers -- from young college students to grayheads with vivid protest 
>memories of the 60's. They gathered from near and far by the tens of 
>thousands, galvanized by the possibility that President Bush will soon 
>order American forces to attack Iraq even without the approval of the 
>United Nations Security Council.
>
>Mr. Bush and his war cabinet would be wise to see the demonstrators as a 
>clear sign that noticeable numbers of Americans no longer feel obliged to 
>salute the administration's plans because of the shock of Sept. 11 and 
>that many harbor serious doubts about his march toward war. The protesters 
>are raising some nuanced questions in the name of patriotism about the 
>premises, cost and aftermath of the war the president is contemplating. 
>Millions of Americans who did not march share the concerns and have yet to 
>hear Mr. Bush make a persuasive case that combat operations are the only 
>way to respond to Saddam Hussein.
>
>Other protests will be emphasizing civil disobedience in the name of 
>Martin Luther King Jr. But any graphic moments to come of confrontation 
>and arrest should be seen in the far broader context of the Capitol scene: 
>peaceable throngs of mainstream Americans came forward demanding more of a 
>dialogue from political leaders. Mr. Bush and his aides, to their credit, 
>welcomed the demonstrations as a healthy manifestation of American 
>democracy at work. We hope that spirit will endure in the weeks ahead if 
>differences deepen and a noisier antiwar movement develops. These protests 
>are the tip of a far broader sense of concern and lack of confidence in 
>the path to war that seems to lie ahead.
>
>
>*********************
>
>JANUARY 18 COVERAGE AND EXCERPTS
>
> From The Washington Post
>EXCERPT - Thousands Oppose a Rush to War
>Chill Doesn't Cool Fury Over U.S. Stand on Iraq
>
>By Manny Fernandez and Justin Blum
>Washington Post Staff Writers
>Sunday, January 19, 2003; Page A01
>See full article at
>http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A12152-2003Jan18?language=printer
>
>Tens of thousands of antiwar demonstrators converged on Washington 
>yesterday, making a thunderous presence in the bitter cold and assembling 
>in the shadow of the Capitol dome to oppose a U.S. military strike against 
>Iraq.
>
>Throughout a morning rally on the Mall and an afternoon march to the 
>Washington Navy Yard in Southeast, activists criticized the Bush 
>administration for rushing into a war that they claimed would kill 
>thousands of Iraqi civilians, spell disaster for the national economy and 
>set a dangerous and unjustified first-strike precedent for U.S. foreign policy.
>
>They delivered that message on a day when being outdoors tested everyone's 
>endurance. Men, women and children fought off temperatures no higher than 
>24 degrees in ski masks and goggles, stashes of hot soup in containers in 
>their backpacks. Many sneaked away momentarily to warm up on an idling bus 
>or to grab a cup of coffee.
>
>"The world is cold, but our hearts are warm," Jesse Jackson told the crowd 
>to applause. He was one of many speakers, who included civil rights leader 
>Al Sharpton from New York, actress Jessica Lange and Rep. John Conyers Jr. 
>(D-Mich.).
>
>Organizers of the demonstration, the activist coalition International 
>ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), said the protest was larger 
>than one they sponsored in Washington in October. District police 
>officials suggested then that about 100,000 attended, and although some 
>organizers agreed, they have since put the number closer to 200,000. This 
>time, they said, the turnout was 500,000. Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey 
>would not provide an estimate but said it was bigger than October's. "It's 
>one of the biggest ones we've had, certainly in recent times," he said.
>
>Local and federal police presence was light, and Ramsey said there were 
>only a couple of minor incidents. A U.S. Capitol Police spokeswoman 
>reported two arrests, one for disorderly conduct and one for writing 
>graffiti on a Library of Congress building.
>
>D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department officials said three 
>people were taken to hospitals, including a woman who had a seizure. The 
>health problems were not believed serious and were not weather-related, 
>officials said.
>
>Thousands attended similar rallies in cities including San Francisco and 
>Tampa as well as in other countries. Organizers selected yesterday for 
>protests partly because of the approaching Jan. 27 deadline for the first 
>major report by weapons inspectors in Iraq, a date many activists said 
>could trigger war. The events were also meant to mark the Martin Luther 
>King Jr. holiday, and many speakers invoked his legacy.
>
>Regardless of the exact number, the crowd yesterday on the Mall was the 
>largest antiwar demonstration here since the Vietnam era. For the 11 a.m. 
>rally, much of four long blocks of the Mall was packed, 
>shoulder-to-shoulder in many sections from Third to Seventh streets SW 
>between Madison and Jefferson drives. The first marchers stepped off about 
>1:30 p.m., and when many had begun reaching the Navy Yard more than two 
>dozen blocks away about an hour later, others were still leaving the rally 
>site.
>
>Those who hoped that President Bush and much of Congress would witness the 
>thousands in the streets of Washington were out of luck; the president was 
>at Camp David, and most members of Congress were away for the weekend.
>
>It hardly mattered to some. Marchers spoke of a surging grass-roots 
>political power.
>
>"The antiwar movement is now at a whole new level," said Tony Murphy, a 
>spokesman for International ANSWER, which was formed three days after the 
>Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as a response to the Bush 
>administration's war on terrorism at home and abroad. "Now we're talking 
>about a force that can really stop the war. It's not just a hopeful 
>attitude. It's a real sense that it's possible," he said.
>
>
>
> From The Los Angeles Times
>EXCERPT - Antiwar Activists Join Forces
>See full article at
>http://www.latimes.com/templates/misc/printstory.jsp?slug=la%2Dna%2Ddemos19jan19001523&section=%2F
>
>WASHINGTON -- Tens of thousands of protesters gathered peacefully Saturday 
>in bitterly cold weather here to denounce President Bush's preparations 
>for a war against Iraq. The demonstrations were replicated in San 
>Francisco and on a smaller scale across the nation and in Europe, the 
>Middle East and Asia in what antiwar activists hoped would mark a turning 
>point in rallying public opinion against a possible war.
>
>The coordinated protests came as the Bush administration continued a 
>military buildup in the Persian Gulf and expressed confidence it can make 
>a "persuasive" case by the end of January that Saddam Hussein is not 
>cooperating with United Nations weapon inspections.
>
>The largest turnout was in Washington, where the rally and march attracted 
>a wide spectrum of demonstrators, from sign-toting grandmothers to college 
>students to gay activists to parents with babies in strollers. Organizers 
>estimated that more than 200,000 people converged on the Mall. Authorities 
>would not confirm that number but said the crowds were larger than last 
>fall's antiwar protest here.
>
>Regardless of the exact numbers, the scale and the passion -- given the 
>20-degree conditions -- evoked strong emotions and memories of the 
>anti-Vietnam War movement.
>
>Many of the demonstrators and most of the speakers -- including the Revs. 
>Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic and former 
>U.S. Atty. Gen. Ramsey Clark -- were united in questioning Bush's motives 
>for threatening a new war. "This is a great day for America," said Kovic, 
>who was carried to the open-air stage. "I lost three-fourths of my body 
>[in Vietnam]. You will find strength. You were born to take this country 
>back! ... No blood for oil."
>...
>One of the day's loudest crowd reactions came when a figure from the 
>Vietnam era, former Atty. Gen. Clark, called for articles of impeachment 
>to be brought against Bush. The president was at Camp David for the weekend.
>
>"Let's impeach him!" shouted the 75-year-old Clark, who served under 
>President Lyndon B. Johnson and who more recently has represented a string 
>of high-profile criminal defendants. Afterward, Clark said "the evidence 
>is there" for articles of impeachment but that he would not "prejudge" 
>whether it merited Bush's conviction by the Senate and removal from office.
>
>The San Francisco crowd rivaled the Washington showing, with throngs of 
>noisy but peaceful protesters converging on the Civic Center. Police 
>estimated the crowd size at more than 40,000, but Richard Becker, a march 
>organizer with Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, said the number was 
>closer to 200,000.
>
>Becker attributed the turnout to "a growing disenchantment with the Bush 
>administration [and] an urgent situation, because Jan. 27 could be a 
>deadline for war."
>
>A preliminary report by U.N. arms inspectors in Iraq is due on that date.
>
>
> From the San Francisco Chronicle
>EXCERPT - Huge protests for peace
>Tens of thousands in S.F. demand Bush abandon war plans
>Suzanne Herel, Zachary Coile, Chronicle Staff Writer
>
>See full article at
>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/01/19/MN196663.DTL
>
> From San Francisco to Washington, D.C., from Paris to Tokyo, hundreds of 
> thousands of demonstrators took to the world's streets Saturday to 
> protest potential military action against Iraq by the Bush administration 
> and its allies.
>
>In Washington, where temperatures hovered in the mid-20s, as many as 500, 
>000 protesters rallied outside the Capitol, while in San Francisco tens of 
>thousands of peace activists marched up Market Street from the Ferry 
>Building to City Hall.
>
>With the Pentagon stepping up military preparations, including ordering 
>more aircraft carriers to the Persian Gulf, thousands of demonstrators in 
>cities from Moscow to London to Cairo called on the Bush administration to 
>find a peaceful solution to the Iraq crisis.
>
>The rallies drew people of all ages, races, religious denominations and 
>political persuasions -- many of them saying that this was their first protest.
>
>In San Francisco, peace activists started their march up Market Street at 
>11 a.m. and started arriving at City Hall at noon to listen to speeches by 
>local and national Among them was Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, who has 
>gained allies and admirers since her vote on Sept. 14, 2001, as the lone 
>dissenting voice in Congress against giving President Bush open-ended 
>authority to wage war against terrorists.
>
>She took the stage to chants of "Barbara! Barbara!"
>"The silent minority has become the vocal majority because of you," she 
>told the cheering crowd. Lee invoked the memory of King, whose birthday is 
>being celebrated Monday, urging the crowd to help eradicate the "axis of 
>evil -- poverty, racism and war. "
>"It's not too late for the administration to heed our call," she said. "It 
>takes leadership to resolve conflicts peacefully. It does not take 
>leadership to drop bombs."
>*********
>
>If you want to help organize for the January 29
>demonstration, the day after Bush's state-of-the-union
>speech, or join the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition's
>mobilization for February 15, go to
>http://www.internationalanswer.org.
>
>Participate in the anti-war referendum! Go to
>http://www.VoteNoWar.org
>
>Donate by clicking on
>http://www.internationalanswer.org/donate.html
>
>**********
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