Vets, resisters, families protest war
By
Yolanda Carrington
Fayetteville, N.C.
Published Mar 23, 2005 3:22 PM
On March 19,
freedom-loving people around the world observed the second anniversary of the
U.S. military invasion of Iraq. People of all ages gathered in cities, big and
small, to protest the destructive occupation of the once-sovereign nation of
Iraq by U.S. armed forces.
One of the most important protests occurred in
Fayetteville, N.C., near Fort Bragg. Many families and friends of military
personnel attended the second annual March and Rally to Bring the Troops Home
Now.
Fayetteville, N.C., March 19.
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Fort Bragg is the home base of the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne
Division and the Special Forces Command, or Green Berets. Nearly one in every
five U.S. troops in Iraq comes through this base or another in North
Carolina.
This historic march and rally was a smashing success. Lou
Plummer, a military father, announced to the rally that 4,800 people were in
attendance. This is three times the number who came together at Rowan Park in
2004 against the war.
This turnout is no small feat for Fayetteville,
which, due to its close proximity to Fort Bragg, is one of the most politically
conservative locales in the U.S. The anti-war protesters greatly outnumbered a
very small contingent of counter-protesters holding signs spouting offensive,
pro-war messages.
The anti-war demonstration was called by the United for
Peace and Justice coalition and endorsed by organizations such as Bring Them
Home Now!, Military Families Against the War, Veterans for Peace, Iraq Veterans
Against the War, Black Workers for Justice, Raleigh FIST (Fight Imperialism,
Stand Together), Code Pink, Atlanta International Action Center, N.C. Labor
Against the War, Gold Star Families and others.
The Rowan Park rally
featured speakers such as Camilo Mejia, a conscientious objector sentenced to a
year in military lockup and given a dishonorable discharge for his refusal to
return to Iraq; Lila Lipscomb, the Michigan mother featured in Michael
Moore’s Fahrenheit 911 documentary, who lost her son in Iraq; Michael
Berg, the father of executed hostage Nicolas Berg; and Dennis Kyne, a Gulf War
veteran and member of Vet erans for Peace who spoke about the sorry treatment of
sick and disabled veterans by “our” government.
FIST members
carried banners during the march featuring the slogans “Self-determination
is a right,” “Support the right to resist,” “Support
military resist ers” and “OUT NOW!—Iraq, Palestine, Haiti ...
End imperialist occupations.”
Other placards raised important
issues like racism, gender oppression and economic costs of the war. One placard
slogan dealt with sexual violence against women troops: “1/3 of all women
GIs are raped.” The reverse side stated: “Support women troops:
Bring them home NOW!”
Protesters traveled from Atlanta, Norfolk and
Richmond, Va.; Washington, D.C., plus numerous cities in North Carolina, South
Carolina and elsewhere.
The culturally diverse crowd refused to be
intimidated by a large police presence.
Carrington is a member
of Raleigh FIST. Contact FIST at [email protected].
Articles copyright 1995-2012 Workers World.
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