[Seattle-editorial] Fwd: RE: [imc-la]March 20th mobilization in Los Angeles

[anarch3m]

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DATE: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 17:37:51
From: "info at voice4change" <info at voice4change.org>
To: <fdorrel at addictedtowar.com>, <change-links at yahoogroups.com>,"'CAAEF'" <CubanAmericanAlliance at yahoogroups.com>,"'wlx'" <wlx at yahoogroups.com>, "'CubaNews'" <CubaNews at yahoogroups.com>,"'nowaroncuba at yahoogroups.com'" <nowaroncuba_info at yahoogroups.com>
Cc: <peacecenter at yahoogroups.com>, <actionla at lists.riseup.net>,<uusm-peace at yahoogroups.com>, "'imc-la'" <imc-la at regenerationtv.com>


I agree with Frank...I have video footage from the balcony of the Kodak
theatre...I won't go as high as 25,000 because the march turned very
slowly...the same banners were visable for a long time at that corner.
There was at least 15,000 maybe 20,000. My suggestion is that we ask the
LAPD to not give a crowd estimate before the final rally and that
imeediatly go to the balcony of the Kodak Theatre if we use that venue
again.once the march arrives they should then wait until everyone is
there and then estimate quickly...people start leaving right away.

When I was walking ahead of the March I heard a LAPD commander give an
estimate of 2,500 to the press...this was only 1 few blocks after the
march started and in this venue people are arriving and joining the
march as the march proceeds.

In Peace,
Scott Galindez

PS the still photo that is widely circulated of the crown from above is
a limited view. I have video with that view and the rest of the
street...

-----Original Message-----
From: imc-la-admin at la.indymedia.org
[mailto:imc-la-admin at la.indymedia.org] On Behalf Of Frank
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 8:50 AM
To: change-links at yahoogroups.com; 'CAAEF'; 'wlx'; 'CubaNews';
'nowaroncuba at yahoogroups.com'
Cc: peacecenter at yahoogroups.com; actionla at lists.riseup.net;
uusm-peace at yahoogroups.com; imc-la
Subject: [imc-la]March 20th mobilization in Los Angeles


Hi Walter,

It was good seeing you last Saturday in Hollywood at the protest. I
believe there were easily 20,000 to 25,000 thousand people there. I
stood on the corner of Hollywood and Highland and watched them march by
for over 20 minutes, as the street was filled from curb to curb. I
actually thought it could have been larger then 25,000 but this is just
my estimate. It was very moving to be there with all of these people and
very reassuring to see that the Peace Movement is alive and well.

I was able to sell two full boxes of Addicted To War books (132 copies)
which is being used more and more by teachers all over the country as a
history text book. 
A new 2004 edition will be coming out in a couple of months which will
include the latest war against Iraq and will be followed by the new
Spanish edition. We have now distributed 100,000 copies in English. Over
70,000 have been sold in Japanese. ATW has also been published in Korea
and India with new editions coming soon in Germany, France, Thailand,
The Netherlands, and other countries.

In Peace,
 
Frank Dorrel
Publisher
Addicted To War
P.O. Box 3261
Culver City, CA 90231-3261
 
310-838-8131
fdorrel at addictedtowar.com
www.addictedtowar.com 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Walter Lippmann [mailto:walterlx at earthlink.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 7:56 AM
To: CAAEF; Change Links; wlx; CubaNews; nowaroncuba at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [change-links] March 20th mobilization in Los Angeles

MARCH 20th MOBILIZATION IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
by Walter Lippmann, CubaNews list moderator

Here are my own observations, followed by the report
from International ANSWER and one wire-service report
on Saturday's world-wide anti-war mobilizations.

Saturday's demonstration was very upbeat and spirited. Estimates I heard
were in the ten to twenty thousand, 
though to me twenty thousand sound rather larger than 
I thought. When you're right in the middle of one of
these event, and not on a rooftop or in a helicopter, it
isn't easy to get a fix on how many people really were 
present. It was very large, and it was very spirited.

A broad coalition was built by International ANSWER to
which all who were ready do protest the US invasions of
Iraq and elsewhere joined forces to make a statement so
big that even the corporate media couldn't ignore it.
In the English-language Los Angeles TIMES, the story was
buried on page ten. I didn't even see the paper today as
I no longer have a subscription. 

Our demonstration began at the famous intersection of
Hollywood and Vine. This is a great place now that we're getting used to
using public transportation. In this city most people (who have
automobiles) use them to go nearly everywhere. In recent years surface
traffic has gotten 
worse and worse. The public, even those who do have cars
are finding (I sure do) driving to large events like this
a great nuisance, so we're learning how to use the public transportation
system. It's not the most user-friendly of systems, but it works and to
get to his landmark it's just great. The ride from my closest subway
station to the demonstration assembly point took perhaps fifteen
minutes.

The demonstration was youthful and enthusiastic, though 
I saw veterans of the protest movements such as myself
at various points. Lots of Latinos participated, using a
range of Latino community organizations. Supporters of 
the FMLN campaign in El Salvador marched with a banner
and above that a Shafik Handal placard. Venezuelans in
support of President Hugo Chavez had their own banner as
well as election campaign posters for him. Groups from
the Chicano community, a wide range with many different organizations
and banners were perhaps the largest part of the mobilization. Several
Filipino groups and one Korean organization also participated. It was
strikely broad from an ethnicity perspective, which has been the case
for some time. Free The Five had a contingent as 
did our Los Angeles Coalition in Solidarity with Cuba,
whose banner read (Ni se rinde, ne se vende -- meaning
we won't give up, we won't sell out). One group which
was heavily latino was the Bus Riders Union, an activist grouping
fighting for expanded public transportation.

Particularly noticeable were all of the Muslim women in
Islamic head-coverings of various kinds. But they were marching, serving
as monitors and in other ways active as participants in the
mobilization. Very impressive.

Though the pressure to support anybody but Bush is very
much a part of the political environment today, I saw 
not a single sign for Kerry. Indeed, I saw one satirical
sign saying "Bush-Kerry" in 2004. There were several 
signs and one dancing and musical group devoted to the
campaign of Dennis Kucinich, at least one sign I saw in
support of Dean. The Green and Peace and Freedom Parties
were also present, with modest-sized contingents as well
as literature tables. The Greens do seem to have genuine
Latino participation and half of their signs were written
in Spanish. And, of course, there were a few of the more humorous kinds
of signs, like "Lick Bush in 2004" <g>

There were a good number of hand-made signs saying "one
down, two to go" in various configurations. 

Though it seems virtually no one got arrested, I heard in
the crowd that the police had acted in a provocative way
at a couple of points along the route. I did see them at
one point, approaching a group of anarchists who jeered
and booed them profusely. The cops, who weren't wearing
battle helmets, but those smallish modern bicycle caps
moved on the anarchists and it looked like a beating
was about to ensue when the police decided to slowly
pull their forces back. I'm not convinced that it was
in response to the chants of the Spartacists whose
slogan was "No repression against anti-war protesters,
leave the anarchists alone!", but shortly thereafter
that was exactly what happened. 

In the Spanish-langugage LA OPINION, however, yesterday's demonstration
was given the most prominent coverage with four of the six columns above
the fold being filled with a beautiful color photograph of the protest.
The other two columns were devoted to the election in El Salvador, an
important event for the large Salvadoran community in this city. The LA
Times, which was linked with LA OPINION in the past, has recently begun
publishing a competitive tabloid to challenge LA OPINION, but it only
come out 
five days a week, so by tomorrow, Saturday's protests
will be ancient history. I would note, however, that the
new paper, HOY, which is published in two other cities of
the US as well, gave very prominent coverage earlier in
the week to Sgt. 

Cuba's GRANMA isn't published on Sunday, but the world's protests were
well-featured in the special Sunday copy of JUVENTUD REBELDE. A photo of
a French demonstration to up almost the entire front page of the paper.
Here it is: http://www.jrebelde.cu/2004/enero-marzo/mar-21/portadab.html


GRANMA doesn't publish on Sunday, but they loved it Monday:
http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/2004/03/22/plana.jpg 
===================================================  

LOS ANGELES MARCH 20TH REPORT BY INTERNATIONAL ACTION CENTER

MASS ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATION OF MORE THAN 20,000 FILLED THE 
STREETS OF LOS ANGELES ON MARCH 20TH!

More than 20,000 protesters filled the streets of Los 
Angeles yesterday in a spirited, militant protest to 
demand: "Bring the Troops Home Now" and "End Occupation of 
Iraq, Palestine, Haiti & Everywhere!" The Los Angeles 
march and rally was one of hundreds on every continent, as 
millions of people around the world participated in a 
Global Day of Action Against War and Occupation.

Other demonstrations in the U.S. included crowds of more 
than 100,000 in New York, 50,000 in San Francisco, 10,000 
in Chicago, and 4,000 in San Diego. More than 1 million 
jammed the streets of Rome and millions more joined 
protests from Tokyo to Johannesburg to Cairo to Madrid.

The Los Angeles march and rally was initiated by the 
International A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition (Act Now to Stop War 
and End Racism), LA's main anti-war group, which includes 
the International Action Center; Free Palestine Alliance; 
ADC LA/OC; BAYAN - USA; Mindullae; Palestinian American 
Women's Association; and the National Lawyers Guild. Other 
initiating organizations in LA included Latino Movement 
USA; CAIR - LA; Al-Awda, the Palestine Right of Return 
Coalition; Korean Americans for Peace; US Labor Against 
War; Global Women's Strike; Latinos Against War; Muslim 
Student Association - West; and many other organizations.

The demonstration in LA exceeded the expectations of the 
march organizers. Chanting "End the Occupation Now," "Free 
Free Palestine, Long Live Palestine," and "Bring the 
Troops Home Now," over 20,000 people marched 1.5 miles 
from Hollywood & Vine, down Highland Ave. to Sunset Blvd., 
north on La Brea, and back around to Hollywood & Highland, 
stopping for the main rally in front of the Kodak Theatre. 
The demonstrators were so numerous that the march was over 
14 blocks long, and the excitement on the street was 
palpable along the entire route!

The front of the demonstration was crowded with beautiful 
banners and signs in English, Spanish, and Arabic, 
supporting an end to colonial occupation in Iraq, and 
freedom for Palestine. 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.

Many veterans and veterans' groups marched, along with 
impressive contingents of immigrants, labor, students, 
same-sex marriage equality advocates, and for Cuba and the 
Cuban Five. A large contingent of LA public school 
teachers also joined the demonstration. 

Congressperson Maxine Waters and veteran Ron Kovic spoke 
to the huge crowd of protestors, as did representatives of 
struggles against occupation and U.S. intervention in 
Iraq, Palestine, Haiti, Afghanistan, Venezuela, and 
everywhere. The rally also featured speakers from labor, 
immigrants' rights groups, religious leaders, and many 
others. 

The March 20 Global Day of Action proves unequivocally 
that opposition to the Iraq war and occupation is deep and 
it is worldwide. "The mass movement against occupation in 
Los Angeles and across the globe is vibrant, unified in 
its demands, and growing stronger every day. 

Demonstrators in Los Angeles and all over the world sent a 
powerful message to the war mongers on March 20th: End 
Occupation from Iraq to Palestine to Haiti and Everywhere! 
Bring the Troops Home Now! Money for Jobs, Education, 
Health Care, and Welfare - Not War! End Racism at Home and 
Abroad! Stop Attacks on Immigrants and Civil Rights!

The ANSWER Coalition also initiated or co-sponsored 
rallies in New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, 
and San Diego. Over 300 cities across the U.S. 
participated in the March 20 Global Day of Action.

PHOTOGRAPHS of the demonstrations in Los Angeles are 
available at www.answerla.org, and links to two great 
pictures are listed below:
http://internationalanswer.org/images/m20/photo11.jpg
http://internationalanswer.org/images/m20/photo12.jpg

Also, photos from the demonstrations in New York City, San 
Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago and Spain are available 
at http://www.internationalanswer.org/news/update/032004m20report.html

Donations for the March 20 Global Day of Action can be 
made online at www.answerla.org, and are tax-deductible. 
Checks can be made out to International ANSWER or 
tax-deductible donations to Progress Unity Fund/ANSWER and 
mailed to 422 S. Western Ave., #114, Los Angeles, CA 
90020. Credit card donations can also be made over the 
phone at (213) 487-2368.

Your support and generosity are appreciated and most 
certainly contributed to Saturday's huge success. 

www.answerla.org
(213) 487-2368

============================================================

MARCH 20
PEACE RALLIES MARK IRAQ WAR ANNIVERSARY
Sun Mar 21, 2:20 PM ET  
By VERENA DOBNIK, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK - Hundreds of thousands of people around the world rallied
against the U.S. presence in Iraq on the first anniversary of the war
Saturday, in protests that retained the anger, if not the size, of
demonstrations held before
the invasion began.   Protesters filled more than a dozen
police-lined blocks in Manhattan, calling on President Bush
to bring home U.S. troops serving in Iraq. Mayor Michael Bloomberg
estimated the crowd at about 30,000, but organizers said later that
number had grown to more than 100,000.

"It is time to bring our children home and declare this war
was unnecessary," said the Rev. Herbert Daughtry, a New
York activist addressing a rally in Manhattan.

The roughly 250 anti-war protests scheduled around the
country by United for Peace and Justice ranged from solemn
to brash.

In Montpelier, Vt., hundreds of silent protesters placed a
pair of shoes on the Statehouse steps for each of the more
than 560 U.S. soldiers killed in the war. In Los Angeles,
one of thousands of protesters held photographs of Bush and Vice
President Dick Cheney with the words, "forget Janet Jackson's - expose
the real boobs."

More than 300 people rallied in Stevens Point, Wis.,
including the 5-year-old son of Sgt. Mark McClure, a
Wisconsin National Guard soldier who has been stationed in
the Middle East for 11 months.

Michael McClure made his own, slightly misspelled protest
sign: "Let Dady Come Home."

Around the world, hundreds of thousands raised their voices
in rallies from Spain to Egypt to the Philippines.

Organizers estimated up to 2 million people demonstrated in Rome, and
100,000 in London, but police in those cities gave estimates of 250,000
and 25,000, respectively.

Anti-war activists jammed the streets of central Rome, many
of them decked out in rainbow-colored peace flags and
chanting "assassins." Protesters demanded that the Italian government, a
strong supporter of the war, withdraw its 2,600 troops from Iraq.

About 150,000 demonstrated in Barcelona, Spain. No crowd estimate was
immediately available for Madrid, but the numbers paled in comparison to
the millions that packed streets all over Spain after the Madrid train
bombings that killed 202 people March 11.

The rallies coincided with the anniversary of the first bombings in
Baghdad last year. Although President Bush ordered the attacks on March
19, the time difference made it March 20 in Iraq.

While turnout was high in some nations, most protests were
far smaller than the enormous demonstrations held around
the world shortly before the war began.

A New York protest a year ago drew more than 125,000 by official
estimates. Although that's similar to organizers' estimate Saturday,
organizers last year estimated that crowd at more than 250,000.

Last year's rally produced several clashes between demonstrators and
police, but New York police reported just four arrests on disorderly
conduct charges Saturday. There were scattered arrests in other U.S.
cities as well.

New York police in riot gear walked calmly past barricades marking off
the demonstration area on Madison Avenue as speakers mounted a stage to
address the crowd on a sunny afternoon. Bloomberg and Police
Commissioner Ray Kelly stopped by the rally, but didn't speak to
demonstrators or participate.

In President Bush's hometown of Crawford, about 800 peace activists from
across Texas marched, chanting, "One, two, three, four, kick the liar
out the door." Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader spoke to
the crowd and called for Bush's impeachment.

The march kept John Taylor, an Air Force veteran who lives
in Crawford, waiting at an intersection. He propped his
cowboy hat above the steering wheel of his Ford pickup to
block his view of the protesters, some holding up effigies
of Bush.

"If they'd leave, it would be nice," said Taylor, 28.

Thousands of protesters marched through Chicago's downtown shopping
district. The Rev. Jesse Jackson urged the crowd to express their
opposition to the war by voting against Bush.

"It's time to fight back," Jackson said. "Remember in November."

In Cincinnati, Claire Mugavin wore a biohazard suit to a protest that
drew several hundred people. She pretended to look for weapons of mass
destruction beneath benches and garbage cans.

"We figure they're not in Iraq," said the 24-year-old Cincinnati
resident. "So we figured we'd come look for them in Fountain Square."

In San Francisco, thousands of taiko drummers, cyclists, activists and
other protesters chanted "End the occupation" and "Impeach Bush."

Thousands of people also turned out in Denver and Seattle,
and demonstrations drew several hundred people in Atlanta, Albuquerque,
N.M., and Augusta, Maine.

Many of the demonstrations were accompanied by smaller gatherings of
Bush supporters. Iraqi-American Kaise Urfali, 46, was among 10 people
gathered at the Atlanta rally to oppose the protesters.

"These people have no clue, they have no idea about the
meaning of terrorism and the meaning of freedom," said
Urfali, who said his family has lived in exile from Iraq
since 1958. "These protesters talk in the name of Iraq and
none of them are from Iraq, none of them lived in the
terror."

Germany, Greece, the Netherlands and other European
countries also saw protests, while demonstrations took
place earlier in Japan, Australia and India. About 500 protesters
clashed with police outside the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines capital,
Manila. No injuries were reported.

Demonstrators in Cairo - vastly outnumbered by riot police
- burned an American flag. Hundreds of people gathered in
other Middle Eastern capitals to denounce the war.

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