AMERICUS
ACTIVISTS ATTEND DC RALLY
Late
Friday afternoon four concerned residents of Americus piled
into a car and headed for Atlanta. There they joined with
5 busloads of people from all over Georgia, Alabama and
Florida, and traveled 12 hours to Washington DC, to participate
in the March 15th protest war against Iraq.
The
protest, which was organized in less than a month, drew
close to 100,000 people of all ages and walks of life; from
college students to professors, retirees, veterans, doctors,
lawyers, politicians, and even some unemployed. For many,
including Bonnie Sullivan, a volunteer at Habitat For Humanity
in Americus, this was their first involvement in a large
scale protest. “It’s a pivotal time to get involved
in something so important and be a part of a movement so
big,” she said. People converged at noon at the Washington
Monument to listen to speakers denouncing a preemptive strike
on Iraq. One of the main themes on speakers’ and protesters’
minds was that peace is patriotic. Former Attorney
General Ramsey Clark said, “Governments are inadequate
to prevent war, [and] we the people of the planet, we the
people of the nations of the Earth, we are going to have
to stand up in permanent unity and stop war… We have
to take back the Constitution.” In response to those
who claim that the anti-war movement is disrespectful to
our US troops, Alan Cook, of Koinonia Partners, said: “The
best way to support our troops, our friends and relatives
who have been shipped overseas, is to bring them home from
this dishonorable war, before it begins.”
The
economic impact of a war was also a concern. “While
schools are under-funded and even being closed across Georgia
and the rest of the country, it is crazy that our government
would spend over $200 billion on another war with Iraq,”
exclaimed Geoffrey Hennies, of Café Campesino in
Americus. Richard Pollette, who works for Habitat For Humanity
in Americus, also expressed discontent with a strike on
Iraq: “I wouldn’t mind seeing Saddam himself
fall, but this military action is certain to kill dozens,
if not hundreds, of US soldiers, not to mention hundreds,
if not thousands, of innocent Iraqi civilians, most of whom
are under 30 years old.”
The
Washington demonstration surrounded the White House and
Justice Department, taking up more than 20 city blocks.
The crowd completely filled the 10-lane Pennsylvania Avenue,
with demonstrators marching shoulder to shoulder in a turnout
that surpassed rally organizers' expectations.
This
demonstration accompanied actions in San Francisco and in
Los Angeles, which totaled over 250,000 US citizens. Worldwide,
protests were held in Germany, France, and Belgium, while
millions protested in Spain and Italy, two governments that
have supported the war.
"Bush
may be determined to fight this war," said Larry Holmes
of the International Action Center, also in the ANSWER Coalition,
"but he was also determined to have a vote for war
at the UN Security Council last week. Bush wanted this war
months ago; the anti-war movement has held him back. War
is not inevitable."
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