Anti-war anger in Baltimore as local Marine dies in
Iraq
By Sharon Black
Baltimore
One of the first U.S. troops killed in the war against Iraq
was Kendall Waters-Bey, a Marine from Northeast Baltimore. In
this working class neighborhood of brick row houses, there is
anger, pain and tears.
His four sisters have been openly critical of President Bush
and the war. In an interview with Baltimore Sun staff
reporters, Michelle Waters, the oldest sister, proclaimed,
"It's all for nothing, that war could have been prevented. Now
we're out of a brother. Bush is not out of a brother. We
are."
Nakia Waters told the newspaper, "This war is all about oil
and money. It's about greed. [Bush] ought to send his daughters
over there to fight."
This sentiment is echoed everywhere in Baltimore's working
class and poor communities, say volunteers of ANSWER--Act Now
to Stop War and End Racism. They took a similar message to both
East and West Baltimore on March 22.
Armed with sound systems, decorated cars and flyers entitled
"Don't Let Our Loved Ones Die for Oil Profits," the group drove
through the city to advertise a community and labor rally to
stop Bush's war. Baltimore's neighborhoods are mostly Black and
impoverished, reflecting decades of racism and cuts in
services.
Andre Powell, an ANSWER volunteer and a union organizer,
spoke to the people: "The rich will not fight and die in this
war. Instead it will be the sons and daughters of the workers
and poor who will die--the majority who joined the armed forces
to learn a skill or receive an education."
He continued, "This war is one of genocide against the Iraqi
people. It will include not only massive bombing but also
long-term occupation and colonial rule. Our children and loved
ones will be called on to fight door-to-door against people who
are trying to defend their country from invasion."
Renee Washington is a mother of five children, one of whom
is presently in the service. She is also related to Kendall
Waters-Bey's mother. She fought to hold back her anger as she
added, "We have had to endure cutbacks in our schools, racism
in the street, and now our youth will be forced to die for the
oil companies." Washington distributed flyers while Powell
announced the 3 p.m. rally.
The car caravan was quickly surrounded by a massive show of
police, including 14 cars filled with SWAT teams and regular
cops, several brigades of motorcycle police, four unmarked
police cars and a helicopter. The intimidation did not stop the
car caravan.
Both the car caravan and police converged at the Unity
United Methodist Church, a historic African American church in
Baltimore's Westside where the rally was to take place. The
police cordoned off the street in front of the church, blocking
access to the rally.
Despite this police intimidation, the church was filled.
Larry Holmes, a national coordinator for ANSWER, brought the
group to its feet as he called for action and resistance to the
war. Dr. Kwame O. Abayomi, the pastor of Unity United Methodist
Church, hosted the gathering. Abayomi represents the 6th
District in the Baltimore City Council, where he has introduced
a resolution against the war.
Reprinted from the April 3, 2003, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyrighted
under a Creative
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