Solidarity with Iraq
Protests span Middle East, Latin America & Asia
By John Catalinotto
During the first weekend after the U.S.-British invasion of
Iraq, the major sentiment around the world was revulsion at the
imperialist crime. By the second weekend another element was
also present: solidarity with the heroic resistance of the
Iraqis.
This was certainly true in protests in mostly Muslim areas
and in other countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. And
while protests continued at a high level in Western Europe, the
hot spots were south and east. In many of the countries,
protesters braved heavy police repression to demonstrate.
Here are reports on just some of the many demonstrations
that took place on March 29-30.
In Rabat, Morocco, 200,000 people rallied--the largest of
the almost daily protests since the invasion began. They
pledged their support to the Iraqis. Some demonstrators threw
stones, burned U.S. flags and tore down posters advertising
U.S. products.
An estimated 100,000 people demonstrated in Peshawar,
Pakistan, and some 250,000 protested in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Though the regimes in both countries have been lined up with
the U.S., they have also both distanced themselves from Washing
ton's policy regarding Iraq.
Smaller but quite militant demonstrations took place in
Egypt, Jordan, Leba non, Yemen, Syria and the Pale stinian West
Bank. Some 15,000 marched in Alex andria in Egypt, and students
in Cairo demanded a holy war to defend Iraq. Pro testers also
demanded that the Egyptian government close the Suez Canal to
U.S. warships.
The first mass government-backed anti-war demonstration took
place in Tehran, Iran, on March 28. Some 15,000 took part.
Students tried to attack the British Embassy. Although the
Iranian gov ernment has considered the Iraqi regime an enemy,
opposition to a U.S.-British takeover is even stronger. On
March 31, someone in Tehran drove a small truck into the wall
of the British Embassy.
Some 30,000 workers demonstrated in Seoul, South Korea. They
forced the National Assembly to postpone authorizing the
participation of 600 military engineers and 100 medics in the
U.S.-British invasion.
Protests also took place in the Philip pines, Malaysia,
Bangladesh and Nepal.
Perhaps the largest protest on March 30 was a six-mile-long
march of 300,000 people in Calcutta, India, organized by 18
mostly left-wing political parties. U.S. flags and effigies
were burned.
Latin America and Caribbean
Demonstrations spread throughout Latin America and the Carib
bean. Five thousand people in Sao Paolo, Brazil, marched on
March 29. Many carried posters of George Bush with a
Hitler-like moustache. Another 3,000 pro tested in Santiago,
Chile.
Demonstrations also took place March 29-30 at U.S. embassies
and consulates in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Montevideo, Uruguay;
La Paz, Bolivia; Lima, Peru; Caracas, Venezuela; Bogotá,
Colom bia; Mexico City; Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and other places
in Central America. Ten thousand protested in Havana, Cuba.
Much political activity in this region has been directed at
the U.S. policies of imposing further economic domination
through the Free Trade Area of the Americas, military
intervention against the people's struggle in Colombia and
attempts to subvert the Venezuelan government.
The progressive movement in this region has joined the
worldwide struggle against the U.S. invasion of Iraq at the
same time that they are combating U.S. imperialism on their own
fronts.
Eastern Europe
Called by the Communist Party, some 6,000 people protested
at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. Waving red banners, they called
on the Russian government to form an international coalition to
oppose the U.S.-led strikes and to help Iraq.
Another 6,000 protested in Sofia, Bulgaria. The Bulgarian
government backs Washington.
In the largest demonstration there to date, 2,000 mostly
young people marched to the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, Poland,
banging drums and chanting, "No blood for oil." Another 700
demonstrated in Prague.
The Polish regime has committed up to 200 soldiers to the
U.S.-led war against Iraq, despite mass opposition. The
resistance shows that support for Wash ing ton's policies in
"the new Europe" comes from a narrow, pro-imperialist
elite.
Western Europe: focus on military bases
In Western Europe there has been an almost continuous
mobilization against the war, especially in Greece, Italy,
Spain and Germany. Actions have included strikes by workers and
massive walkouts by high school and university students.
On March 29-30, many protests focused on U.S. and British
military bases--support areas for the war crimes being
committed by U.S. and British forces in Iraq.
More than 5,000 people marched on the British air force base
at Akrotiri in Cyprus.
In the Spanish state, some 50,000 people holding banners
that read "No to war" and "Not in our name" marched to the Rota
Naval and Air Base, which is shared with U.S. forces. Thousands
more marched to military bases in Torrejon, near Madrid, and to
the Moron, Zaragoza and Albacete bases.
In Stuttgart, Germany, about 6,000 protesters encircled the
Pentagon's European Command. Police arrested 100 demonstrators
at a sit-down protest outside the main gate of the Rhine-Main
Air Base near Frankfurt, a key transit point for U.S. military
traffic to the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan.
More than 100,000 demonstrated throughout Germany, where the
movement is criticizing the Schroeder government for talking
peace while allowing the U.S. to use its German bases for
logistical support for the war.
Tens of thousands also marched in France, Britain and other
West European countries.
Reprinted from the April 10, 2003, issue of
Workers World newspaper
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