In Los Angeles, more than 5,000 people joined in a spirited march through the busy downtown area to stop the U.S.-
Israeli war on Lebanon and Palestine. Thousands of signs, placards and Palestinian, Lebanese and Iraqi flags stretched for several blocks as people chanted “Occupation is a crime, from Lebanon to Palestine!” and “Free, free Palestine, long live Lebanon!” Many protesters came from the Arab and Muslim communities.
Los Angeles, Aug. 12.
Photos: Bethany Malmgren
Speakers at the Los Angeles rally outside the federal building included Muna Coobtee of the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), Nader Abuljebain of the National Council of Arab Americans, Ahmad Azam of the Muslim American Society, Husam Ayloush of the Council on American Islamic Relations, Jim Lafferty of the National Lawyers Guild, Bill Paparian, Green Party Candidate for U.S. Congress, Naji Ali, Project Islamic Hope, Eva Georgia of KPFK, 90.7 FM, Yael Koran of Women in Black, Shakeel Syed of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, Mahmud Ahmad of Al-Awda Palestine Right to Return Coalition, Preston Wood of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, Kim Baglieri of the Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines, Ahmed of Muslim Student Association-West, Phyllis Kim
of Korean Americans for Peace, Carlos Alvarez of the Party for Socialism and Liberation and Bernie Moto of the FMLN. The Palestinian hip-hop band, the Philistines, performed.
LA protesters carry 50 ft Palestinian and Lebanese flags.
Muna Coobtee of ANSWER said “We are here today in the thousands to protest the ongoing repression and murder of the people of Lebanon and Palestine by the U.S.-backed Israeli army. This protest is an expression of our outrage as Arabs and progressives at the war crimes being committed by Israel in its aggression. But together, we can build a movement strong and powerful enough to stop the U.S. war criminals in the White House and their Israeli proxies.”
The Party for Socialism and Liberation had a strong, militant contingent in the march with a banner reading “Support the people’s resistance, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine.” Copies of Socialism and Liberation magazine and leaflets were widely distributed throughout the crowd.
Aug. 12 participants pledged to build for the next major anti-war march initiated by ANSWER on October 28 in
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Click here for dozens more photos from the LA protest.
Click here to read the Los Angeles Times coverage of the LA protest.
