Across United States
More than 150 cities, towns stand up against Bush's war
drive
By Greg Butterfield
"We froze our butts off for peace!" That's how one of the
3,000 anti-war protesters in Madison, Wis., described the local
action that was part of "The World Says No To War" weekend Feb.
15-16.
It was a sentiment echoed all over the United States as
record numbers of people turned out in over 150 cities, towns
and villages to fight back against the Bush administration's
war plans.
Across the country, the weekend saw some of the worst winter
weather in years. But flooding rains, blizzards and frigid
temperatures couldn't stop the growing anti-war sentiment from
spilling into the streets.
Media attention focused on the impressive rallies of
hundreds of thousands in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles
and many European capitals. But the multitude of protests held
in all parts of the United States was also important.
Organizers from many cities and towns reported the biggest
local demonstrations since the Vietnam War era.
In most big cities various anti-war coalitions, including
International ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), Not
In Our Name, and United for Peace and Justice, worked together
to build demonstrations. The plethora of protest shows there is
fertile ground for these coalitions to build a powerful
anti-war movement in conjunction with local groups all over the
country.
Organized on short notice
Probably no one will ever know exactly how many
demonstrations were held Feb. 15-16. In many places grassroots
protests took shape almost spontaneously, over the course of a
week or even a few days, as word spread about the international
days of protest.
Thousands made the trek to the big regional demonstrations
on the East and West coasts. Activists in some areas sent
contingents while also holding local rallies. Buffalo, N.Y.,
groups sent four buses to the New York City rally, but also
held a local action of 300 people. Speakers there were nearly
drowned out by the sound of supportive drivers honking car
horns.
Others learned about the big marches too late to arrange
transportation. But they felt compelled to take action.
They came out 1,500 strong, in downtown Wausau, a small city
in Wisconsin, despite heavily publicized police preparations
for "riot control."
In Butler County, Pa., 150 people rallied in Diamond Park.
Local organizer Bill Neel said, "Maybe people are starting to
realize they can control their own destinies."
Forty people in Bowling Green, Ky., braved rain, cold and
police harassment to make their statement.
At the State Capitol in Raleigh, N.C., 5,000 rallied and
marched. "We have a government that is out of control," said
Wendy Wexberg of Raleigh. "I don't know if I remember such a
mixture of ethnicity in the early days of the Vietnam War
protests, such a mixture of ages."
About 4,000 held a peaceful march in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Police fired two rounds of tear gas at the crowd and arrested
several demonstrators.
At the State House in Montpelier, Vt., 600 people braved
0-degree F weather to make their voices heard. Florida saw
protests in some 20 cities--numbering from 200 in Key West to
1,500 in Sarasota.
That's just a sampling of the impressive actions held in
smaller cities and towns.
Record numbers turn out
In Seattle, birthplace of the U.S. anti-globalization
movement, some 55,000 protesters converged on the Seattle
Center to demand: "Stop the war on Iraq! Stop the war on
immigrants!"
Local activists called it a record turnout for an anti-war
protest. It drew many families with children, union members,
religious groups, seniors, youths and immigrants. After the
rally they marched nearly three miles to the Immigration and
Naturalization Services Detention Center to show solidarity
with the many immigrants imprisoned there.
Texans, too, turned out in historic numbers. An anti-war
protest was held in every major city in George W. Bush's home
state.
Austin, the Texas state capital, saw its biggest rally and
march ever-more than 10,000 people. Five thousand demonstrated
in Dallas, while another 5,000 marched from Houston's Federal
Building to a local park. The Houston action was dedicated to
Native activist Standing Deer, who was killed there in
January.
On the U.S./Mexico border, marchers from El Paso, Texas, and
Juarez, Mexico, met on the International Bridge.
Up to 15,000 people took to the streets of Philadelphia for
that city's biggest anti-war event in over 30 years.
In Minneapolis 10,000 marched.
In Detroit 5,000 marched downtown to the Cobo Center, and
1,200 attended an indoor rally to hear Auto Workers union
officials, Yemeni community leaders, Rep. John Conyers and
other anti-war voices.
In Chicago over 7,000 people demonstrated in bitter cold. On
the initiative of a mass meeting of the Pakistani community,
the rally and march were held in a predominately South Asian
neighborhood, in solidarity with the embattled Muslim and
immigrant communities.
Pakistani groups staged the action in cooperation with the
Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism and 100 other
endorsing organizations. There were signs in Urdu, Arabic,
Turkish, Korean, Spanish and English.
In Cleveland, where temperatures also bottomed out near
zero, over 1,000 people turned out to hear the head of the
Cleveland Federation of Labor, prominent clergy members, Arab
and African American community leaders speak out against the
war. A moment of silence was held for legendary local activist
and Workers World Party founding member Ted Dostal, who had
died days before at age 96. After the rally a contingent from
the newly formed Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgendered
People for Peace led off the march, chanting, "Don't ask, don't
tell, war and bigots go to hell."
In San Diego, 7,000 people attended a morning protest at the
Federal Building called by the local Peace & Justice
Coalition. Over 1,000 turned out later that afternoon for a
march, organized by ANSWER, to a Navy installation. San Diego
County hosted no fewer than five anti-war protests Feb. 15.
Atlanta activists found a creative way to spread their
anti-war message. They formed a Peace Caravan, with chants
ringing out from a sound system affixed to a flatbed truck, a
bus draped in anti-war banners, and dozens of other vehicles.
They traveled to six of the city's busiest shopping districts,
including Decatur Square, where 250 people met the caravan to
declare a "No War Zone."
With reports from Jane Cutter,Martha Grevatt, Kris
Hamel, Bev Heistand, Bob McCubbin, Dianne Mathiowetz, Lou
Paulsen, Betsey Piette and Gloria Rubac.
Reprinted from the Feb. 27, 2003, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyrighted
under a Creative
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