On March 21, the anti-war movement returned to the streets in a big way. After an initial rally at the State Department in Washington, D.C., thousands marched on the Pentagon, the crowd swelling as it crossed the Memorial Bridge into Virginia. What followed was a dramatic direct action at Boeing, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and KBR, corporations that demonstrators labeled “merchants of death.” The predominantly young crowd continued to grow as the day proceeded. The march, stretched out as far as the eye could see, went through the Pentagon north Parking Lot and then into downtown Crystal City, where the leading war profiteers’ headquarters are located.
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There was a significant delegation from members of the Arab and Muslim communities and many students participated. Jai Hurdle, a student at York College in New York City, came on a bus from the Bronx. Jai explained to Liberation why he decided to protest for the first time: “I am a poor student, and this governent is taking money from CUNY [City University of New York]. That is my education at risk. My grandmother was forced to retire early and she is the only worker in my household. At this very moment I have a dollar in my pocket, but I am here. … Today is just one step.”
The Arlington County Police mobilized in full riot gear in an attempt to block the demonstrators from delivering symbolic coffins—draped with the Iraqi, Palestinian and Afghani flags—at the doorsteps of the war corporations. The police brought tear gas, snarling dogs and guns loaded with rubber bullets pointed directly at demonstrators. A tense face-off ensued, but demonstrators held their ground and proceeded to deliver the coffins. It was fitting imagery with the coffins laying at the feet of the “robocops” dressed in full black, standing guard for their fellow merchants of death.
The Arlington County Police also put out an absurdly low count of the demonstration, which was more than 10,000 people.
“This is the launch of the anti-war movement in the post-Bush era. Bush is gone, but the occupation of Iraq continues, the war in Afghanistan is escalating and the people of Palestine are living under a state of siege,” stated Brian Becker, national coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition.
San Francisco
The San Francisco protest drew 4,000 people in opposition to the continuing occupations of Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine. A spirited march proceeded from the Embarcadero along Market Street to Civic Center. The crowd, with a large proportion of youth, stopped at banks in the Financial District where the marchers chanted “Stop the war against the poor,” “Occupation is a crime: Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine!” and “Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation!”
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During the rally at Civic Center, police provoked the demonstrators by wading into the peaceful crowd, pushing, shoving and then arresting and clubbing demonstrators—some as young as 11 and 13—who had been engaged in a militant verbal exchange with a few dozen Zionists from S.F. Voice for Israel, who had been holding a racist counter-protest against the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. The police threatened the youth using anti-Arab racist slurs. During the encounter, ANSWER Coalition emcees and others called on the police to leave the plaza while the rally chanted “Hands off the people,” and “SF cops out of Civic Center.” Later in the day, six more arrests of Palestinian youth were made in a nearby transit station, bringing the total of the number of arrests to 10. More than half of those arrested face bails exceeding $50,000.
A significant contribution to the rally was made by three members of Iraq Veterans Against the War. The veterans, who are living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, spoke out powerfully against the U.S. occupation of Iraq. One of the young men also spoke about his experience of racism within the U.S. military.
Interviewed for this article, Preeti Shekar of Berkeley said she had come to the event to “protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and to make the connections between those occupations and Palestine.” She opposed President Obama’s plan to expand the occupation of Afghanistan and called for the people to make him accountable for his actions.
Mona Farooq and her husband Sharar heard about the protest from their mosque in San Jose, Calif. “I don’t think people should ever give up marching, there is value in every action collectively and power in numbers.” She spoke of the difficulty of finding work in the recent economic crisis and struggling with the high cost of living in the Bay Area.
Greg Miller of Health Care for All said it was “important to keep going because the war continues.” Others chimed in that the troops are still not home, and he pointed out single-payer health care for all would be the best stimulus for the population.
While the bus from South Bay ANSWER was boarding to return to San Jose, several youth engaged with the reporters. “Even though Bush is out, the war continues. They didn’t bring troops back from Iraq, but sent more to Afghanistan.” They complained that due to the economic crisis and skyrocketing military expenditures, they have suffered cutbacks in course offerings at school and a reduction in bus service for students.
Los Angeles
“The Obama administration has continued the Bush plan on Iraq. But I’ve got something to say to the President: he must end the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan immediately. And the government must begin taking care of veterans and all people right here in the United States. There are too many homeless; there are too many unemployed. Being in the streets today is the most important place to be.” Ron Kovic
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March 21 was a historic protest for Los Angeles because it was a militant, veteran- and youth-led action that culminated in a series of dramatic actions targeting the U.S. war machine. The surging energy of the crowd was palpable throughout the day.
A rally with community leaders, anti-war, union and student activists kicked off the action. “Today is a new beginning for the anti-war movement,” said Michael Prysner, Iraq war veteran and member of the Veterans and Service Members Task Force of the ANSWER Coalition. We are initiating a new period of struggle against the racist policies of the U.S. war machine.”
Shakeel Syed of the Islamic Shura Council denounced the U.S. government’s continued attacks on the Muslim community. He called for an end to U.S. wars, the occupation of Palestine, and for a revolution in the United States.
Other speakers included Hamid Khan, South Asian Network; Jollene Levid, GABRIELA Network; Christine Araquel, Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines; Blase Bonpane, Office of the Americas; David Clennon, Screen Actors Guild; Chloe Osmer, National Assembly to End the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; Muna Coobtee, ANSWER Coalition and Free Palestine Alliance; Mahmud Ahmad, Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition; Ryan Endicott, IVAW; Tina Richards, Veterans for Peace; Marylou Cabral, Cal State Long Beach student and leader of Youth and Student ANSWER; Carlos Alvarez, Party for Socialism and Liberation; Jim Lafferty, National Lawyers Guild; and others. Rebels to the Grain performed political hip-hop. The rally was chaired by Tamara Khoury, a Palestinian student and ANSWER organizer at Cal State Fullerton, and Peta Lindsay of ANSWER.
After the rally, protesters marched behind a procession of coffins through Hollywood to the intersection of Hollywood and Highland, the busiest area in Los Angeles. The march stopped in front of the famous Kodak Theatre where organizers led a symbolic “die-in” to dramatize the effect of imperialist wars on innocent people. Thousands lay down in the middle of the street as the sound of bombs and air raid sirens blared over loudspeakers. Scores of bystanders watched the action with rapt attention on the sidewalks nearby.
The end of the protest was the successful delivery of mock coffins to the recruitment station, where veterans and organizers faced off with a line of police.
“I’m a student who can barely afford to stay in school, and I’m so mad about the war and tuition hikes. This was the most powerful action I have ever been a part of. It makes me want to do more—everything I can, to stop this system,” said Yasmin Abdullah, a Lebanese American student at Los Angeles Valley College.
Another protester, Miguel Herrera, a retail worker from East Los Angeles, told Liberation that he did not think people would protest after Obama got elected, but “now that we are out here together in the thousands, I’m so glad to be here. It really shows me that people can make a difference by coming together in common struggle.”
The people, united, can stop the wars!
Kerbie Joseph, Keith Pavlik, Michelle Schudel and Ian Thompson contributed to this report.
