[Peace-discuss] Fwd: Worldwide Roundup Demos in 37 countries

[Al Kagan]

>
>>WORLDWIDE DEMONSTRATIONS ? ACTIONS IN 37 COUNTRIES PROTEST U.S. PLANS FOR WAR
>>
>>[Compiled by the International Action Center]
>>
>>Besides the massive marches of hundreds of thousands in Washington 
>>and San Francisco and smaller actions in other U.S. cities, there 
>>were demonstrations in at least 40 countries demanding ?no war on 
>>Iraq.?
>>
>>The ANSWER coalition had put out an international call for 
>>solidarity that was later picked up by the important Cairo 
>>Conference in mid-December and broadcast by other bodies like the 
>>Asian Peace Forum and the Stop the War Committee in England. These 
>>groups, along with ANSWER and other U.S.-based anti-war groups, are 
>>mobilizing now for worldwide actions on Feb. 15.
>>
>>In Canada there were demonstrations in 30 cities from coast to 
>>coast, with 15,000 reported in Vancouver, 25,000 in Montreal, 5,000 
>>in Toronto, 7,000 in Saskatoon and smaller actions elsewhere.
>>
>>In Mexico, there were mobilizations against the war and the embargo 
>>against Iraq in Mexico City and at the international bridge between 
>>Mexico and the U.S. near Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua, with U.S. 
>>groups meeting them from the other side of the border.
>>In Argentina, a march of a thousand people led by the Mothers of 
>>the Plaza del Mayo went to the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires on Jan. 
>>16. There were also mobilizations in other Latin American 
>>countries, like Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala and Brazil.
>>
>>Subhead: Middle East, South Asia
>>
>>In Turkey the main demonstration took place in Ankara where 
>>demonstrators gathered in front of a cinema showing the latest U.S. 
>>James Bond film. There was also a demonstration in Istanbul.
>>
>>In most of the Middle East, as in Turkey, protesters faced an army 
>>of heavily armed riot police. Thousands of demonstrators in Beirut, 
>>Lebanon, carrying Palestinian and Iraqi flags chanted: "Sign your 
>>name on a suicide attack on U.S. interests, so we can fight an 
>>American attack along with Iraq."
>>
>>Tens of thousands of Syrians marched through the streets of 
>>Damascus, blocking traffic for hours, to protest against what they 
>>saw as a pre-set U.S. plan to attack a fellow Arab state. Shouting 
>>"Down with the United States!" the Damascus marchers carried 
>>banners reading: "Iraq: a history and a civilization, not an oil 
>>well."
>>
>>About 1,000 demonstrators protested in central Cairo, Egypt, 
>>against any U.S.-led strike on Iraq, security sources said. The 
>>demonstrators called on the Egyptian government to prevent U.S. and 
>>British warships from using the Suez Canal en route for a possible 
>>assault on Iraq. It was at the Cairo Conference on Dec. 19 that a 
>>strong call reinforced Jan. 18 as an international day of struggle, 
>>and also called for supporting a Feb. 15 day of action.
>>
>>Others in the Arab world joined the international effort by 
>>demonstrating in Gaza and Nablus in Palestine; Amman, Jordan; in 
>>Bahrain, and in Baghdad, Iraq, commemorating the anniversary of the 
>>beginning of the Gulf war 12 years ago. In Jordan, hundreds of 
>>protesters in the mostly Palestinian Nuzha district of Amman burned 
>>U.S., British and Israeli flags and denounced Bush.
>>
>>Demonstrators in Lahore, Pakistan, also had to face soldiers and 
>>police as they tried to march to the U.S. Embassy. Some hundreds of 
>>both young students and human right activists marched in the 
>>eastern city of Lahore, while others gathered in the southern city 
>>of Karachi and in Rawalpindi. "Don't impose war on Iraq," said 
>>Farrukh Sohail Goindi, the organizer of the anti-war rally in 
>>Lahore.
>>
>>Near Islamabad, hundreds of children, women and men formed a human 
>>chain and chanted slogans against an attack on Iraq. Their banners 
>>read: "No blood for Oil" and "U.N.: Stop America from attacking 
>>Iraq."
>>
>>Though capitalist India and Pakistan are at odds, Indian workers 
>>also demonstrated against the Iraq war Jan. 18 called out by 
>>communist organizations. Workers burned an effigy of Bush.
>>
>>Subhead: East Asia and Pacific Islands
>>
>>There were a series of demonstrations in the Philippines protesting 
>>the war on Iraq and also the attempt by the U.S. to reoccupy 
>>Philippine military bases. Another action had been set for Bandung, 
>>Indonesia.
>>
>>In addition, there were demonstrations and other acts of protest of 
>>thousands in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Okinawa and other 
>>Japanese cities on Jan. 18-19. Carrying toy guns filled with 
>>flowers and waving banners, anti-war demonstrators marched through 
>>downtown Tokyo's central shopping district. "We want to unite with 
>>people all over the world on the same issue," said Takashi 
>>Uchiyama, one of the organizers of the Tokyo march.
>>
>>In the New Zealand city of Christchurch, Green Party legislator 
>>Keith Locke told some 400 demonstrators that "pressure from around 
>>the world can halt the war."
>>
>>In Hong Kong, China, about 60 people "Inspections, yes! War, no!" 
>>and "Yankee, go home!" as they marched through the financial 
>>district to the U.S.  and British consulates.
>>
>>Subhead: Europe and Eurasia
>>
>>In Spain, 30,000 people marched from Madrid to the Torrejón 
>>military base near Madrid on Jan. 19, in an action called by a 
>>coalition of 80 organizations, and under the slogans: ?Stop the war 
>>against Iraq,? ?NATO no, bases out? and ?Against all participation 
>>by the Spanish government in the war.? Other meetings took place in 
>>various cities around the Spanish state, including Valencia o 
>>Santander, on Jan. 18.
>>
>>In France there were demonstrations in cities all across the 
>>country. The largest was in Paris, where 20,000 people joined in a 
>>united march of diverse social, political and union organizations. 
>>They marched under the slogans of ?No to war against Ira. Justice, 
>>peace and democracy in the Middle East and in the world. In 
>>Marseille, the demonstration drew 10,000, who chanted "Bush, Blair, 
>>Chirac, we don't want your dirty war!"
>>
>>In Italy, the largest demonstrations took place in Perugia, 
>>Bologna, Genoa, Napels and Florence, where U.S. and Iraqi residents 
>>of the city lead a human chain of 5,000 people in a march along the 
>>Arno river to surround the U.S. consulate. There was also a march 
>>of 1,000 people to the U.S. airbase Camp Ederle, near Vicenza, and 
>>then a march of thousands through the city.
>>
>>In Britain the largest demonstrations took place in London. In 
>>Scotland the Scottish Anglican Episcopal Church joined the 
>>international initiatives by celebrating in its 50.000 parishes in 
>>more than 320 cities and towns religious meetings against the war 
>>on Jan. 19. Also, in Bradford a pacifist march called by the 
>>Committee to Stop the war took place. On the outskirts of London, 
>>demonstrators surrounded the headquarters fo the British Army to 
>>protest British participation in aggression against Iraq.
>>
>>In Ireland protest actions against the war were focused near 
>>Shannon airport, which has been used by the British army for the 
>>last few months to transport U.S. troops to military bases in the 
>>Persian/Arabian Gulf.
>>
>>In the Netherlands there were anti-war actions in Rotterdam, 
>>Nijmegen y Leiden. In Uden, la Dutch police arrested 90 people who 
>>had tried to approach the military airbase housing U.S. and German 
>>troops. At the demonstration outside the USAF base of Volkel, Dutch 
>>activists asked to enter the base to ?carry out an inspection of 
>>U.S. arms of mass destruction.? The group demanded that the Dutch 
>>and U.S. governments follow their own advice for Iraq and publicize 
>>details of their own nuclear programs.
>>
>>In Belgium, with the slogan, ?Stop the war against Iraq before it 
>>starts", ?Stop USA! (United States of Aggression) Coalition marched 
>>10,000 strong in Brussels Jan. 19 in a united demonstration whose 
>>march route included the headquarters of NATO and the European 
>>Union.
>>
>>In Vienna, Austria, around 1,000 people, mostly university and 
>>high-school students, marched Jan. 17 from the university in the 
>>center of town to the U.S. Embassy, where they burned a U.S. flag 
>>and chanted "Stop the War," reported an organizer from the 
>>Anti-imperialist Coordination.
>>
>>In Russia, several thousand people took part in two large protests 
>>Jan. 18 in front of the diplomatic offices of the U.S. in Moscow 
>>and Leningrad, in response to a call by the Communist Party. ?U.S. 
>>hands off Iraq!? was a popular slogan. A banner outside the U.S. 
>>Embassy in Moscow declared: "Iraq isn't your ranch, Mr. Bush." 
>>Slogans included [President Vladimir] "Putin, stop kowtowing to 
>>Bush."
>>
>>In Sweden, more that 6,000 people marched through the streets of 
>>Gothenburg, called out by working-class organizations of that 
>>country. In Norway, 1,000 activists focused in Oslo at the 
>>Parliament, where a cabinet member and a member of Parliament 
>>spoke. Both actions were on Jan. 18.
>>
>>In Germany, there were mobilizations Jan. 18 numbering 2,000 in 
>>Heidelberg near the U.S. military headquarters, also in Cologne and 
>>Rostock, with more than 5,000 out in the small southwestern city of 
>>Tuebingen, plus vigils and public meetings all over the country.
>>
>>Demonstrations were scheduled but not yet reported from in 
>>Switzerland, Hungary, Iceland and South Korea.
>>
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-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu