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On Saturday, March
20, millions of people around the world came into the streets as part of the
Global Day of Action to "Bring the Troops Home Now" and "End Colonial
Occupation from Iraq to Palestine to Haiti and everywhere". Exactly one year
back on March 20, 2003 the US/British launched their war of aggression on Iraq.
In the US the call
was given by the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) and
United for Peace and Justice, the two major anti-war coalitions in the U.S. A
large number of Arab and Muslim organizations co-organized the event.
The March 20
demonstration in New York City far exceeded the expectations of the march
organizers. Chanting "Occupation is a crime from Iraq to Palestine" and "Bring
the troops home now," more than 100,000 people marched. Starting at 23rd and
Madison, the march filled 45 blocks through midtown Manhattan, north on 6th
Avenue to 40th Street and back to the original rally site. The demonstrators
were so numerous that the front of the march almost hit the back of the march
and had to come to a fifteen minute stop when it was returning to the rally site
in order to allow the end of the march to proceed forward.
A RW (Revolutionary
Worker) correspondent in New York City wrote: "A massive river of people
moved through the center of Manhattan, packed together for dozens of blocks,
from curb to curb. March organizers estimated the crowd at 100,000 — who
gathered in the face of a heavy-handed police presence. People had come to
reject, denounce and ridicule George W. Bush and everything he represents in
this world. This defiance jumped out from banners and homemade signs. A 20-foot
statue of George Bush was toppled down in the middle of the street. In the
crowds this day, the question that buzzed was how to pull this whole Bush agenda
down for real." Many demonstrators carried coffins draped with the flags of
Palestine and Iraq. In addition, the march featured a 20 x 25 foot Palestinian
flag carried by Arab Americans of all ages.
An RW
correspondent in San Francisco reported that 50,000 people marched in a festive
and defiant mood. The dock workers contingent (ILWU) announced that they had
called for a work stoppage and no ships were being unloaded in the Bay Area. A "Not
in Our Name" contingent staged periodic die-ins. Police attacked a
break-away march, arresting over 80 people. Later police justified surveillance
and detentions saying they were authorized by the federal Patriot Act. A large
contingent of LA public school teachers also joined the demonstration.
In the United States
— one of more than 60 countries that held protests — demonstrations took place
in over 300 cities, including major regional actions of 100,000 in New York
City, 50,000 in San Francisco, 20,000 in Los Angeles and 10,000 in Chicago. The
turnout at all of these demonstrations far exceeded the expectations of the
organizers.
Demonstrations took
part in over 700 cities and towns in over 60 countries of the world. In Europe,
one of the biggest protests was in Rome, where up to 3 lakh marchers jammed the
streets. In Barcelona, organisers said up to 2 lakh marchers took part in a
protest. The Spanish city of Madrid, still reeling from the 11 March bomb
attacks, saw around 100,000 protesters marching through the city, waving banners
and chanting "No to the war".
And in London, where
two protesters climbed the Big Ben clock tower near the Houses of Parliament,
over 25,000 joined demonstrations. In Tokyo, protest organisers said 30,000
people joined a march to voice opposition to Japan’s involvement with the Iraqi
occupation - Japan has sent 1,000 personnel to Iraq, its largest foreign
deployment since World War II.
In Sydney, protesters
carried a 1.5 metre (five foot)-high effigy of Prime Minister John Howard in a
cage to represent Australian suspects detained at the US military prison camp in
Guantanamo Bay. Thousands of Australians took to the streets calling for the
withdrawal of the 2,000 Australian troops serving in Iraq, who were deployed
despite huge public opposition.
In the Hungarian
capital, Budapest, demonstrators holding blazing torches formed a human peace
sign in the city’s Heroes’ Square and called for Hungarian troops to be
withdrawn from Iraq.
There were also
protests in Thailand, the Philippines and Hong Kong. Latin American countries
such as Chile, Venezuela and Brazil also held protests. Hundreds of
demonstrators took to the streets of Middle Eastern capitals to denounce the
war, although in Iraq itself there were no public demonstrations for or against
the war.
Meanwhile, on Friday,
March 19, thousands of people dared to take the streets in the heart of Bagdad,
Iraq’s capital. This rally reportedly brought together contingents of Shia and
Sunni people to make a single statement against the U.S. occupation. This is
especially bold since the U.S. occupation authorities there have banned public
demonstrations and repeatedly ordered their troops to shoot into crowds of
protesters. Marchers denounced the conquest and occupation of their country—and
protested the repeated killing of Iraqis by U.S. troops and the refusal of U.S.
authorities to allow families to visit prisoners. One sign said "Human rights
have disappeared."
In addition
significant actions took place in almost every major capital and city on every
continent from Dublin, Ireland to Hong Kong to Melbourne, Australia to Santiago,
Chile to Johannesburg, South Africa to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Thousands marched
in Turkey’s cities to denounce the occupation and the planned visit by George
Bush.
In India March 20 was
observed with protests in most cities of the country. Though relatively small in
size the anger is slowly building up in India as well. With the BJP-led
government prostrating before the US and Zionists any protest here is invariable
linked to the capitulation of the Indian rulers to the imperialists,
particularly the US.
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