100,000 march in London
Protests denounce U.S./UK war
By John Catalinotto
The Act Now to Stop War & End Racism coalition
(International ANSWER) held a series of informational actions
on the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. These ranged
from rallies and picket lines to mass leafleting to
teach-in-type discussions. Two dozen cities and campuses across
the United States participated, with solidarity actions in
Spain, Italy and Germany, mostly on Nov. 14.
Following the Sept. 11 events, ANSWER organized the first
actions against U.S. military threats, drawing 20,000
protesters to both Washington, D.C., and San Francisco on Sept.
29. The group again held protests in 75 cities across the U.S.
on Oct. 27, after the Pentagon began bombing Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, in some parts of the world, protests have
accelerated in the face of the U.S.-British reports of victory
in Afghanistan over the Taliban. The largest demonstration was
held in London on Nov. 18. There the Stop the War Coalition
gathered what was called the largest anti-war march since the
Vietnam War.
"Some 100,000 anti-war protesters marched in London today,
doubling last month's turnout of 50,000, indicating the full
depth of opposition to the war in the UK," said the organizers'
report. "Trade unionists, Muslim organizations, community
groups, anti-racists, human rights activists,
anti-globalization activists, students and Members of
Parliament heard a wide range of speakers condemn the U.S.-led
military action in Afghanistan."
"After today's demonstration, no one can doubt both the
scale and the diversity of anti-war feeling in this country,"
said Suresh Grover of the National Civil Rights Movement and
Stop the War steering committee. "This is a ground-breaking
event which has coalesced into a massive operation against the
military action.
"This protest is also against the attack on human rights in
Britain. The government is slipping in the suspension of habeas
corpus and the introduction of internment and detention without
trial. We are also seeing a proliferation of racist
assaults."
Veteran anti-war activist and former minister Tony Benn told
the rally that "We are witnessing the birth of a world-wide
peace movement." He denounced the U.S.-UK war as terrorism.
Important trade unionists were present, including delegations
from the local government union UNISON, the Transport and
General Workers Union, the National Union of Teachers, the rail
unions RMT and ASLEF, and the Fire Brigades Union. Hospital
workers from various parts of the country also took part.
In Ottawa, Canada, an anti-globalization protest at the G-20
meeting grew to over 2,000 people on Nov. 17. The demonstrators
also raised slogans against the war on Afghanistan.
ANSWER actions Nov. 14
Among the actions sponsored by ANSWER in the United States
were rallies of hundreds of people near Union Square Park in
New York and at Powell and Market Street in San Francisco. The
San Francisco action focused on protesting the U.S. bombing of
the offices of Al-Jazeera television in Kabul, the most brutal
way to censor news from the Afghan capital.
In San Diego, ANSWER supporters gathered with signs and
flyers at the corner of Broadway and Front streets,
distributing hundreds of leaflets to passers-by.
In Washington, D.C., a large group of ANSWER volunteers went
to a dozen Metro stations and neighborhoods and distributed
close to 20,000 leaflets and fact sheets about the U.S.-British
aggression on Afghanistan. Many of those who passed by signed
the "Pledge for Peace" ANSWER has been using to petition.
In Philadelphia, an open forum and speakout at the Unitarian
Church heard Berta Joubert of the International Action Center
on the struggle in Vieques, Puerto Rico, to stop U.S. Navy
testing, and laid-off flight attendant and labor organizer
Rodney Ward.
Earlier in the week, on Nov. 10, a broad spectrum of
Detroit's political activists gathered at New Bethel Baptist
Church to denounce the war in Afghanistan. Speakers linked it
to the war against the poor and people of color in the U.S.
Speakers told the 200 people at the rally it was time to
build a grassroots movement to include youth of color, who are
disproportionately represented in the U.S. military.
Debbie Johnson of the Detroit chapter of the International
Action Center said these youths' "lives are most threatened by
the imperialist war drive. When we leave here today, let's go
home to our sons and daughters, our nieces and nephews, and get
them involved."
Among the speakers were Maureen Taylor, chair of the
Michigan Welfare Rights Organization, Ron Scott of the Detroit
Coalition Against Police Brutality, Tamara French of the
National Lawyers Guild, an immigration rights attorney, and
Julie Hurwitz and Mark Fancher of the Sugar Law Center. The
attorneys described provisions of the "Patriot Act" and state
legislation in Michigan that eliminate many constitutional
rights for detainees.
Hassan Nawash, a community activist, and Intessar Alkafji of
the National Association of Arab and Chaldean Businesswomen
told the audience about Israeli repression of Palestinians and
the murderous impact of U.S. sanctions on Iraq.
ANSWER co-director Larry Holmes called on people across the
country to come to New York from Jan. 31 to Feb. 4 to join in
protests against the World Economic Forum gathering.
Anti-war organizations in Madrid, Spain, held protests Nov.
14 at Puerta del Sol. Also in Venice, Italy, about 100
activists from Porderone, Bassano, Padova, Venica and Chioggia
demonstrated against the imperialist war, denouncing its
political and economic causes, including the grasp for
petrodollars, the control of Central Asia and the world, and
the new division of power.
They placed a dozen white crosses on the Rialto Bridge,
transforming it into a cemetery. They also held performances on
the bridge, in the market place and in the streets, ending at
the railway station in Venice.
There were also demonstrations throughout Germany Nov. 14
and through the week to protest the Bundestag's (parliament)
approval of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's plans to send German
troops into battle to support the U.S.-British offensive.
Reprinted from the Nov. 29, 2001, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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