Anti-war sentiment spreads throughout U.S.
By Leslie Feinberg
Anti-war activists march ed, rallied and raised their voices
in at least 87 U.S. cities over the Jan. 18-19 weekend.
Here's an overview compiled from numerous alternative news
sources:
At least 20,000 people rallied against the war near Port
land State University in Oregon on Jan. 18.
There were 5,000 in Tucson, Ariz.; 3,000 in Mont pel
ier, Vt.; 1,000 in Albuquer que, N.M.; 1,200 in
Ann Arbor, Mich.; 1,000 in Salt Lake City, Utah;
close to 2,000 in Spok ane and 600 in Bel lingham,
Wash.; 800 in Madison, Wis.; 600 in Reno,
Nev.; 900 in Charlottes ville, Va.; and 300 in
Rockford, Ill.
About 200 took part in Tulsa, and some 800 gathered at the
Murrah Federal Build ing Mem orial in Okla homa City,
Okla.--the site of the right-wing terrorist bombing
attack that left 168 people dead.
Five hundred people turned out in Fayetteville, Ark.,
and also in Colum bia, Mo.; 100 came out in St.
Louis.
There were 1,200 in San Luis Obispo and 800 at the Richard
Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, Calif. While at least 200
activists from Fresno got on the bus to go to the San Francisco
march, 100 stayed and took their protest downtown.
More than 1,200 anti-war protesters marched in the Martin
Luther King, Jr. Parade in San Diego. The anti-war contingent
stretched at least a quarter of a mile. This was the largest
contingent ever in this military town.
Hundreds more turned out in Houston; Tallahassee and Miami,
Fla.; and Portsmouth, N.H.
Some 200 people rallied and marched on Main Street in Meno
monie, Wis., as passing motorists and truck drivers honked
their vehicle horns in support. Organ izers "estimated" the
crowd at 6,000--tongues firmly in cheek--so that when the
big-business media characteristically under-reported the event,
the number would be closer to the truth. (IndyMedia)
"No war against Iraq" signs are appearing on lawns and
porches in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
More protests you probably didn't hear
about
When several youths in Gaines ville, Fla., spontaneously
marched in the street in solidarity with the D.C.
mobilization on Jan. 18, within an hour 50 to 60 people had
joined them.
Twenty local groups in Lincoln, Neb., organized a
rally that drew as many as 2,000.
Astoria, Ore., saw a protest of 300.
President George W. Bush was met by 200 anti-war activists
in Scranton, Penn., on Jan. 15. Police roughly moved
demonstrators from pillar to post to try to keep them away from
Bush's entourage. But protesters with signs were visible to
Bush as he passed by in his limousine.
There were 50 in Minoqua, and several stalwart activists on
a street corner in Wauwatosa, Wis.
On Jan. 16, Sen. Sam Brownbeck's office in Wichita,
Kan., was the target of a dem onstration by about 70
activists.
On the eve of the Washington and San Francisco
mobilizations, 2,500 marched in Seattle, and 300 rallied in
Albany, N.Y.
And on Jan. 20, more than 10,000 peo ple came out to say,
"Support the poor, no more war!" at Seattle's annual Martin
Luther King Day march. With a strong showing from labor,
thousands gathered at Garfield High School for workshops and a
rally, and then took to the streets and marched to the Federal
Building for a concluding rally.
Reports include information from Jane Cutter, Independent
Media Center and Gloria Verdieu.
Reprinted from the Jan. 30, 2003, issue of
Workers World newspaper
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