On 15 February, the world saw mass demonstrations opposing war in Iraq, with people protesting in some 60 countries and 300 cities across the globe. People from all walks of life took to the streets, from Sydney to Berlin, from Rome to New York, to send a message to their leaderships that came through loud and clear: STOP THE WAR!Let Americans listen
Anti war rallies were held in 150 American cities, sending a clear message to US President George Bush: "No blood for oil", Khaled Dawoud was among the huge crowd in New York
In the largest anti-war rally held across the United States this weekend, nearly 500,000 people defied police refusal to grant them a march permit, and blocked downtown New York on Saturday. They chanted slogans and confronted an aggressive police force that spared no effort to disperse the protest. "No Blood for Oil", "Drop Bush not Bomb" and "We Want Peace" were among the main slogans repeated by the protesters throughout the rally in freezing temperatures.
Anti-war demonstrators packed more than 20 blocks near the United Nations, where the main rally took place. Key speakers at the rally included Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, Martin Luther King III, prominent poet Arthur Miller and several Hollywood stars and singers. The demonstration was opened by singer Richie Havens performing "Freedom". Among other main speakers were Susan Sarandon, Harry Belafonte and Pete Seeger.
Anti-war activists said protests were held in 150 cities across the United States, but the largest were in New York on Saturday and San Francisco on Sunday. Both witnessed clashes between protesters and police for the first time since similar rallies started taking place late last year. Other major rallies were held in Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles, Washington, and Maine. Police said nearly 300 people were arrested in New York alone, and five were injured and taken to hospital.
"Peace! Peace! Peace!" Archbishop Tutu said as he walked from a church service to a meeting with Kofi Annan at the United Nations. "Let America listen to the rest of the world -- and the rest of the world is saying: Give the inspectors time."
"Just because you have the biggest gun does not mean you must use it," Martin Luther King III told demonstrators as he stood before an enormous banner reading: "The World Says No To War".
Security in New York was extraordinarily tight, with the city on high alert for terrorist threats.
Demonstrators who were prevented by police barricades and checkpoints from reaching the main assembly site blocked all the main streets leading to the UN building. Police also used horses, clubs and pepper spray to push peaceful protesters back and prevent them from marching towards the UN building.
All along the area, authorities deployed a new security "package" including sharpshooters and officers with radiation detectors, hazardous materials, decontamination equipment, bomb-sniffing dogs and air-sampling equipment able to detect chemical or biological weapons.
"Are we living in a dictatorship?" one angry protester yelled at a heavily equipped police officer. When protesters were kept for hours unable to move, they started chanting, "Whose Streets? Our Streets".
On Sunday, more than 150,000 people hit the streets of San Francisco to join the voices around the world protesting against US war plans against Iraq. Demonstrators had postponed their event by one day to make way for the city's popular Chinese New Year parade and celebration. Protesters included actor Danny Glover, writer Alice Walker and singers Bonnie Raitt and Joan Baez.
"We know that we have not been shown enough evidence for a preemptive strike," said Raitt. "There are millions of people around the globe who have shown they feel the same way."
After the main demonstration, a group of a few hundred people, some masked in bandannas, marched to the city's posh Union Square shopping area, where some pelted police officers with rocks and other objects. Several arrests were made, police said.
At an anti-war rally in Colorado Springs on Saturday, police fired tear gas at demonstrators and hit at least one with a rubber bullet after demonstrators spilled out of a park and blocked a major thoroughfare.
The anti-war rally in New York was organised by the Coalition for Peace and Justice, an umbrella network that includes more than 150 smaller organisations. Another major anti-war coalition, ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) plans another peaceful march on 1 March in front of the White House in Washington DC.
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : 20 - 26 February 2003 (Issue No. 626)
Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/626/sc9.htm