Protests in US over Iraq war day
Saturday, March 17, 2007
TENS of thousands of people are expected to demonstrate in Washington and other US cities today against the Iraq war, which is hugely unpopular across the United States four years after the invasion, organisers said.
Protesters started raising tents last Wednesday on the vast, green esplanade across from the US Congress's domed building in preparation for the demonstration against the US-led war that started on March 20, 2003.
Activists wrote signs with exhortations such as "Stop the war in Iraq" "Fund people's needs not the war machine" and "US out of Iraq".
The fourth anniversary demonstration will take place in a different political landscape as Democrats took control of Congress from President George W Bush's Republican Party in November elections marked by voter anger over the war.
Last year's protest had been poorly attended, but activists mobilised heavily in January to push the new Congress to end the war that has killed more than 3,200 US soldiers and tens of thousand of Iraqi civilians.
Bill Hackwell, a spokesman for peace group Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (Answer), said tens of thousands of people from more than 150 cities were expected to converge on the US capital for a march to the Defence Department's Pentagon headquarters.
"We're feeling a shift in the general population of the country who are now opposed to the war and are now thinking about doing something about it, not only about voting but becoming active in the anti-war struggle," he told AFP.
The war has grown increasingly unpopular, with recent polls showing that a majority of Americans now say the invasion was a mistake and want the US government to set a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.
Hackwell said more Americans are demanding change because too much money is being spent on the war rather than social needs like health care, education and employment.
"It is not an exaggeration to make this connection about the funding that gets cut for needed social programmes and the money going to the Pentagon," he said.
War veterans and their families will lead the march starting at 12.30pm today.
Prominent war opponents will also participate, including peace activist Cindy Sheehan, who gained international attention by staging an anti-war campout outside Bush's Texas ranch after the death of her soldier son in Iraq.
But activists had yet to hear Wednesday from Democratic lawmakers, whose ranks include vociferous war critics, on whether they will take part in the march.
Other anti-war events are planned in Washington, Los Angeles and New York.
Christian Peace Witness for Iraq will have a prayer at Washington's National Cathedral and a candlelight procession to the White House that the group said would attract nearly 4,000 people.
In Los Angeles, thousands of protesters are expected to take the streets of Hollywood.AFP
Protesters started raising tents last Wednesday on the vast, green esplanade across from the US Congress's domed building in preparation for the demonstration against the US-led war that started on March 20, 2003.
Activists wrote signs with exhortations such as "Stop the war in Iraq" "Fund people's needs not the war machine" and "US out of Iraq".
The fourth anniversary demonstration will take place in a different political landscape as Democrats took control of Congress from President George W Bush's Republican Party in November elections marked by voter anger over the war.
Last year's protest had been poorly attended, but activists mobilised heavily in January to push the new Congress to end the war that has killed more than 3,200 US soldiers and tens of thousand of Iraqi civilians.
Bill Hackwell, a spokesman for peace group Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (Answer), said tens of thousands of people from more than 150 cities were expected to converge on the US capital for a march to the Defence Department's Pentagon headquarters.
"We're feeling a shift in the general population of the country who are now opposed to the war and are now thinking about doing something about it, not only about voting but becoming active in the anti-war struggle," he told AFP.
The war has grown increasingly unpopular, with recent polls showing that a majority of Americans now say the invasion was a mistake and want the US government to set a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.
Hackwell said more Americans are demanding change because too much money is being spent on the war rather than social needs like health care, education and employment.
"It is not an exaggeration to make this connection about the funding that gets cut for needed social programmes and the money going to the Pentagon," he said.
War veterans and their families will lead the march starting at 12.30pm today.
Prominent war opponents will also participate, including peace activist Cindy Sheehan, who gained international attention by staging an anti-war campout outside Bush's Texas ranch after the death of her soldier son in Iraq.
But activists had yet to hear Wednesday from Democratic lawmakers, whose ranks include vociferous war critics, on whether they will take part in the march.
Other anti-war events are planned in Washington, Los Angeles and New York.
Christian Peace Witness for Iraq will have a prayer at Washington's National Cathedral and a candlelight procession to the White House that the group said would attract nearly 4,000 people.
In Los Angeles, thousands of protesters are expected to take the streets of Hollywood.AFP
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