Home > Anti-War Activists Plan Massive D.C. Rally
Demos-Actions Wars and conflicts USA
By ELIZABETH WHITE
WASHINGTON — Organizers are planning what they say will be the largest anti-war demonstration in the nation’s capital since the Iraq war began in March 2003.
The ANSWER Coalition and United for Peace and Justice detailed their plans Thursday for the Sept. 24 protest. They plan to bus in people from across the country for a march past the White House. Other major protests are planned that day in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Cindy Sheehan, whose 24-year-old son, Army Spc. Casey Sheehan, was killed last year in Iraq, is on a 25-state bus tour that will end at the protest in Washington. The anti-war groups will coordinate with planned protests against the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, which are holding their annual meetings the same weekend.
Organizers believe the presence of Sheehan _ whose one-woman protest outside President Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas, has energized the anti-war movement _ and growing public sentiment against the war will produce a turnout of 100,000 or more.
Brian Becker, national coordinator for ANSWER, said the protest will "mark a turning point for the anti-war movement" and put pressure on the administration to withdraw U.S. troops.
The groups Freerepublic.com and Protest Warrior are organizing a smaller counter-demonstration. Karl Singer of Protest Warrior said the anti-war movement gets too much media coverage.
"Anti-Bush and anti-America and anti-war _ they get all the media attention," Singer said.
Public dissatisfaction with the war has been growing. The latest AP-Ipsos poll found just over half of Americans say the country made a mistake invading Iraq and disapprove of the way Bush is handling the war. But people are hesitant to say the troops should leave immediately. Almost six in 10 said troops should stay until Iraq is stable.
The religious organization Democracy Rising, meanwhile, has kicked off an anti-war effort in which church bells will toll weekly to honor soldiers killed in Iraq.
"The idea is to deepen the discussion about the human cost of the war and alternatives to it," said the group’s director, Kevin Zeese. (AP)
Forum posts
3 September 2005, 08:16
Hopefully, the American people can match the British (more than a million in London demonstrated against the war) in showing our government that their war has not been bought by us and even though we will have to pay the bill we need to demonstrate that they are all about to lose their jobs. Its time to throw the rich old crooks out into the streets.
This should be the most massive march in our countries history since so many people are so fed up with the bastards running this country. Tell your friends and neighbors and family members and co workers to head to D.C. on the 24th of the month it is time for some changes to be made.
22 September 2005, 03:05
Anyone with half a brain and internet access knows that United for Peace and Justice and ANSWER are marxist/communist front groups. Their "anti-war" activities have nothing to do with pacifism or concern about american soldiers, but are part of their overall agenda to undermine Western, and especially American, capitalism and democracy. Yet, so-called journalists like Elizabeth White fail, or refuse, to report it. Lets see, what was it Lenin called them? Oh yeah...useful idiots.