At Rockefeller Center
Marchers call for peace & justice
By G. Dunkel
New York City
More than 600 people marched through the streets of midtown
Manhattan on Dec. 16 demanding peace and economic and social
justice.
The New York Coalition for Peace and Justice called the
demonstration. The International Action Center sent a
delegation in solidarity.
The march began and ended in the tourist-filled Rockefeller
Center. Its route wound past the glitz and glitter of Fifth
Avenue, the diamond district and J.P. Morgan Assets Management.
Many holiday shoppers heard protesters chant, "U.S. out of the
Middle East. Bombs are not the way to peace."
Some passersby were hostile--especially a few young Marines
home on leave.
But others welcomed the marchers' message. A Muslim
professor from CUNY said it warmed his heart. Others flashed a
thumbs-up or a smile. There were no physical
confrontations.
Brenda Stokely, president of AFSCME Local 215 and
vice-president of DC 1707, spoke at the rally. She said that
the executive board of her union, which represents mostly
low-paid home healthcare workers, had unanimously voted to
oppose U.S. policies in Afghanistan by all possible means.
'We need a united front
to stop the war'
She stressed, "The U.S. government used our tax dollars to
bail out the airlines but didn't have a dime for laid-off
workers, mainly women. We need to build a united front to
oppose the imperialists who want to destroy Afghanistan."
Palestinian Suzanne Adeley spoke representing Al-Awda--the
Palestinian Right of Return Coalition. She reminded those
gathered that during the holiday season, "The town of Bethlehem
is being bombed by U.S. bombs dropped from U.S. planes flown by
the terrorist state of Israel."
She explained that many Palestinians don't know where their
brothers, fathers, uncles, cousins are being held in detention.
She emphasized, "The U.S. is directing this terrorist war of
the Israelis against the Palestinians."
Denis O'Neal, a postal worker from Morgan Station, pointed
out that when a Senate office building was contaminated with
anthrax two months ago, it was closed--and is still closed.
When the machine next to the one he works on was contaminated,
post office management issued him a gauze mask and rubber
gloves and told him the mail must be moved.
Bernard White, one of those fired during the WBAI radio
struggle, read a statement by death-row political prisoner
Mumia Abu-Jamal denouncing the U.S. war against
Afghanistan.
Reprinted from the Dec. 27, 2001, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
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