LOS ANGELES
Multinational city unites against war
By Adrian Garcia
Los Angeles
If Los Angeles has been viewed as a city of lukewarm and
sometimes dormant activism, the massive protest in Hollywood
Feb. 15 should dispel that notion.
Some 100,000 protesters answered the call for global
anti-war solidarity. They rallied and marched down world-famous
Hollywood Boulevard, calling for the Bush administration to
halt its war campaign against the people of Iraq.
Angelica Houston, Rob Reiner and Martin Sheen were among the
numerous Hollywood celebrities and artists who lent their
support to the burgeoning anti-war movement.
"I'm here to support peace against this war with Iraq," said
Tom Morello, guitarist for the rock group Audioslave. "I think
it's entirely about oil and about Bush trying to get his
horrible domestic record off the front pages."
The demonstration included a diverse assembly of religious
groups, labor organizations, students, environmentalists and
families.
"I don't believe that a war on Iraq is good for children
anywhere in the world," said 10-year-old activist Marcus
Rogers, who was accompanied by his mother at the
demonstration.
An electrifying rally preceded the march. Many speakers took
note of the enormous protests being held around the globe.
Writer Gore Vidal commended the crowd for its struggle
against the Bush administration's tyranny. "I never once
believed that I would ever see a day like this, where the great
part of the nation of we the people should be obliged to march
against an arbitrary and secret government preparing wars for
us to fight in," he said.
A broad array of issues and causes were brought to the
forefront. Civil-rights lawyer Leonard Weinglass urged the
crowd to become involved in the campaign to free the five Cuban
political prisoners being held in U.S. prisons. Weinglass
represents the five in their appeals process. He equated the
struggle for freeing the Cuban Five, who worked to end
U.S.-based terrorism against their homeland, with the struggle
to end U.S. imperialist aggression against Iraq.
The march made its way toward an Army recruiting station on
the corner of Sunset and La Brea boulevards. Protesters found
that their strength had forced the military recruiters to close
their doors for the day.
Reprinted from the Feb. 27, 2003, issue of
Workers World newspaper
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