Los Angeles activists demand: 'Money for bridges - not for war'

On Aug. 9 anti-war and immigrant rights organizations held a press conference in Los Angeles to blame U.S. war spending for failing infrastructure here in the U.S. Organizers charged the Bush administration and the Democratic-led Congress with criminal neglect due to war spending, causing crises from the Hurricane Katrina devastation to the Minneapolis bridge collapse.

WW photo: Sekou Parker

They called for massive protests in September and urged everyone to participate in the national encampments and marches from September 22 to 29 in both Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.

Speakers included Carlos Montes, Latinos Against the War; Terrie Cervas, BAYAN-USA; Steven Gibson, American Friends Service Committee; Javier Rodriguez and Martha Rojas, March 25 Coalition; Mazen Al-Moukdad, an Arab American activist and member of Al-Awda; Karin Gonzales, CODEPINK; and John Parker, International Action Center.

Part of the press release reads:

“Back in 2003, the same year that began the latest U.S. war on Iraq, the American Society of Civil Engineers said that 27.1 percent of the nation’s bridges were deficient.

“Instead of heeding that warning, the Bush Administration with complicity from the Democratic Party has, so far, squandered half-a-trillion dollars on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The direct human cost of that spending adds up to hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives, many of whom were children. In addition, nearly four thousand young lives were wasted as U.S. soldiers are being sacrificed for U.S. profits.

“The collapse of the bridge in Minneapolis is also a direct result of that policy. Less than half of the money spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would repair or replace all of the bridges presently deemed deficient in the U.S.

“We demand that the war in Iraq come to an end immediately and unconditionally and that this money be used to repair our failing infrastructure and for human needs like health care, schools and education.”