LOS ANGELES
Everywhere Bush turns, Palestine supporters protest
By Scott Scheffer
Los Angeles
By the time President George W. Bush showed up for his
fundraising stop in Los Angeles on April 28, a huge crowd of
people had already gathered. They were demonstrating against
the U.S. war in Afghanistan and against the president's support
for the Israeli war against the Palestinian people.
If, after the historic national demonstrations April 20 in
San Francisco and Washington, D.C., Bush needed more proof that
U.S. aid to Israel's brutal occupation of Palestinian
territories is fueling a new anti-war movement in the United
States, he must have gotten the message here. He was here to
try to raise $4 million for right-wing California gubernatorial
candidate Bill Simon.
The demonstrators came for a variety of reasons. People had
driven from as far away as San Diego. There were workers from
the Service Employees union who came with signs and banners to
oppose Simon for his attacks on workers' rights. One banner
held by Puerto Rican activists called for the U.S. Navy to get
out of Vieques.
There were placards calling for justice in Colombia,
denouncing Bush for stealing the presidential election,
decrying his ties to the corporate crooks at Enron and
demanding an end to the horrific U.S. war in Afghanistan.
But the demonstration's passion and energy were clearly
provided by the young Palestinians who led the chanting.
Because the protest was so loud and so many people joined the
chanting, police tried to quash the demonstration by
threatening to shut down the sound equipment. For a brief
period it was lowered slightly, but soon the volume was turned
right back up.
About halfway through the demonstration, when momentum
normally slows a little, a collection was taken up to pay for
renting a room in the hotel in order to hang a Palestinian flag
from the balcony. A group of Palestinian women took the money
and went in.
A short time later two Palestinian flags appeared from a
fifth floor window of the mammoth and otherwise dull-looking
building. For about 15 minutes it seemed there was not one
person present who wasn't chanting, "Long live Palestine; free,
free Palestine!"
The International ANSWER--Act Now to Stop War & End
Racism--coalition, American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee
and the Coalition for World Peace had jointly initiated the
protest.
Reprinted from the May 9, 2002, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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