[Peace] Fwd: Anti-war protests sweep country

[Alfred Kagan]

I think this merits annoucement status.

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>Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2002 09:59:15 -0500
>To: inskeep at alexia.lis.uiuc.edu, akagan at uiuc.edu
>From: Stephen Kaufman <stephenk at uiuc.edu>
>Subject: Fwd: Anti-war protests sweep country
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>>
>>
>>Antiwar protests sweep country?next step is Oct. 26!
>>By Leslie Feinberg
>>
>>Sloughing off the weight of media and government assurances that 
>>the population of the United States is solidly behind Bush and his 
>>generals in their war frenzy to invade Iraq, people resisting the 
>>Pentagon plans are rising up, tall and strong.
>>
>>And if bus tickets, email and word of mouth are any indication, the 
>>national march against the war slated for Washington, D.C., on Oct. 
>>26, along with the West Coast regional march in San Francisco, will 
>>be a high-water mark in the movement to put an end to Bush's 
>>self-declared endless war.
>>
>>A successful call for National Days of Resistance to War and 
>>Repression brought out tens of thousands across the country Oct. 
>>6-7, "to pledge their resistance to endless war, detentions and 
>>roundups of Arab, Muslim and South Asian immigrant, attacks on 
>>civil liberties and war on Iraq," reports the Not In Our Name 
>>coalition Web site.
>>
>>Over 25,000 came out in New York City; 12,000 in San Francisco; 
>>10,000 in Los Angeles; 10,000 in Seattle; and thousands in Chicago.
>>
>>Demonstrations were also held over that two-day period in Denver; 
>>Houston; Minneapolis; Salt Lake City; Anchor age, Alaska; Fresno, 
>>Calif.; New Haven, Conn.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Kansas City, Mo.; 
>>Chapel Hill, N.C.; Santa Fe, N.M.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Yellow Springs, 
>>Ohio; Corvallis, Eugene and Portland, Ore.; Westerly, R.I.; Nash 
>>ville, Tenn.; Charlottesville, Va.; Bellingham, Wash.; Kickapoo and 
>>LaCrosse, Wis.; and other cities.
>>
>>In Italy on Oct. 5, an estimated 1.5 million people in 120 cities 
>>demonstrated against the growing threat of a U.S. invasion of Iraq. 
>>In some cities there were two demonstrations, one in the morning 
>>and one in the evening. The largest were a morning demonstration in 
>>the northern industrial and financial center, Milan, and an evening 
>>march of 200,000 in Rome.
>>Not In Our Name events
>>
>>The Oct. 6 gathering in New York's Central Park was the largest 
>>antiwar demonstration held in the U.S. so far. New Yorkers were 
>>joined by people from all over the Northeast, including many 
>>students, who came from as far away as Ohio. Speakers included 
>>Masuda Sultan, who lost 19 family members to the U.S. bombing of 
>>Afghan istan, and people who lost family members at the World Trade 
>>Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Celebrities Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, 
>>Martin Sheen and David Byrne spoke.
>>
>>The coalition organizing national anti-war marches on Oct. 26 and 
>>the Not In Our Name coalition had agreed before the rally to 
>>endorse each other's activities. Larry Holmes, a national 
>>coordinator of the ANSWER coalition, was cheered when he said, 
>>"Only the people can stop this war," and called on the Central Park 
>>crowd to come to D.C. later in the month.
>>
>>Feeder marches from many Bay Area communities swelled the San 
>>Francisco demonstration that packed Union Square. A group from 
>>Marin marched all the way across the Golden Gate Bridge. Speakers 
>>included musician Bonnie Raitt, American Arab Anti-Discrimination 
>>Committee San Francisco Chapter President Osama Qasem and Richard 
>>Becker of the International ANSWER coalition.
>>
>>Youths in Los Angeles kept marchers' spirits high with powerful 
>>chants as they passed the U.S. Army Training Center, led by members 
>>of the Filipino organization Bayan. Seattle's 10,000-strong march 
>>was believed to be the largest there since the 1999 protests 
>>against the World Trade Organization.
>>
>>Almost a thousand people gathered in front of the Horton Plaza 
>>shopping complex in downtown San Diego with antiwar signs and 
>>banners. There was almost constant beeping of car horns as many 
>>motorists, bus and truck drivers, sounded their agreement with the 
>>antiwar, anti-Bush protestors. After a rally, protestors marched to 
>>the harbor where the local military establishment was holding Fleet 
>>Week activities.
>>
>>Even as local activists geared up for the Oct. 6-7 events, other 
>>picket lines, rallies, marches and vigils against the war are 
>>taking place--largely without coverage in the monopoly media--in 
>>towns and on campuses across the country.
>>
>>'Free Palestine, no war on Iraq!'
>>
>>Atlanta is humming with antiwar activity. Some 400 people packed 
>>the sidewalk and spilled into the street in front of the America 
>>Israel Public Affairs Committee national summit meeting in one of 
>>the city's largest shopping areas Oct. 6. The diverse crowd 
>>included many youths, members of the Muslim, Arab and South Asian 
>>communities, African Americans and faith-based antiwar activists.
>>Whole families of Palestinians chanted together and held protest 
>>signs demanding "Free Palestine, no war on Iraq" and "Stop U.S. 
>>funding for Israeli occupation!" The protest, organized by Atlanta 
>>Palestine Solidarity, International Action Center, Al-Awda and 
>>Students Organizing for Justice, was endorsed by many groups.
>>
>>Shortly afterward, more than 100 people took part in a colorful and 
>>spirited rally at a nearby park as part of the Not In Our Name 
>>regional protests. Many women of all ages--the majority young--took 
>>part. The crowd cheered as passing cars "honked for peace."
>>
>>On Oct. 5, Atlanta activists protested at the governor's ansion 
>>where Gov. Roy Barnes hosted a dinner for AIPAC. The demonstration 
>>was called by Concerned Black Clergy to address the role of this 
>>ruling-class-dominated group in the defeat of progressive political 
>>candidates Cynthia McKinney and Earl Hilliard in recent primary 
>>elections.
>>
>>Union workers swelled the ranks of protest against Vice President 
>>Dick Cheney's Oct. 4 appearance at a breakfast fundraiser for 
>>Republican candidates at the Galleria Mall in Cobb County, Ga. The 
>>main demand focused on corporate crime and the loss of workers' 
>>retirement funds. Later that day, when Cheney traveled to Augusta, 
>>activists gathered outside a downtown hotel to demand no military 
>>aggression against Iraq.
>>
>>Weekly protests in front of Sen. Zell Miller's office are growing 
>>and the street response is overwhelmingly supportive. Atlanta 
>>antiwar activists are organizing to confront Bush during his 
>>planned visit to the city on Oct. 17.
>>
>>'We won't die for Big Oil!'
>>
>>Hundreds gathered near the downtown Hyatt Hotel in Baltimore on 
>>Oct. 2 to protest President George W. Bush's visit for a 
>>fundraising dinner for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob 
>>Erlich. Activists held signs aloft and chanted "We won't die for 
>>Big Oil" and "Stop the war against Iraq!" The protest, initiated by 
>>the All Peoples Congress, continued until Bush's motorcade had 
>>pulled away from the hotel.
>>
>>Fourteen antiwar protesters were arrested during a vigil at Sen. 
>>Hillary Rodham-Clinton's office in New York on Oct. 7. More than 40 
>>people demonstrated in Utica, N.Y., on Oct. 8. Activists in Utica, 
>>Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Cananda igua, Kingston and other 
>>cities around the state are already planning buses to take people 
>>to the Oct. 26 march and rally.
>>
>>More than 350 people--from elders to infants, professors to 
>>elementary students, anti-racist activists to lesbian/gay/bi/trans 
>>activists--came out to a demonstration in Brattleboro, Vt., on Oct. 
>>5, to demand "No war on Iraq!"
>>The Brattleboro Area Peace and Justice Group, made up of 
>>individuals in southeastern Vermont and southwestern New Hampshire, 
>>sponsored the protest. They marched from Living Memorial Park 
>>through downtown, chanting "War is not the answer." They hoisted 
>>placards such as "Got milk? With sanctions Iraqi children don't" 
>>and "It's about oil."
>>
>>Grandmothers Call to End War
>>
>>An Iowa newspaper--the Des Moines Register--noted in its Sept. 30 
>>edition that several hundred grandmothers had traveled to the State 
>>Capitol to register their demand for no war with Iraq.
>>Carmen Zeitler is not a grandmother. But she was drawn to the event 
>>called by Grandmothers Call to End War. She told the media, "War is 
>>not the answer. Those who have called us here are powerful 
>>witnesses to that truth. Their fathers went to World War I, the 
>>first war to end all wars; their husbands went to World War II, the 
>>second war to end all wars; their brothers, their friends went to 
>>Korea; their sons to Vietnam. It is absurd to do the same thing 
>>over and over again, expecting different results."
>>
>>Includes reports from Sharon Ceci, Bev Hiestand, Marge Maloney, 
>>Dianne Mathiowetz, Bob McCubbin, Bryan G. Pfeiffer and Minnie Bruce 
>>Pratt.
>>
>>- END -
>>
>>
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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