Iraq war protests in New York
Anti-war rally: An anti-war demonstrator flashes the V sign to supporters of the war in Iraq prior to a march towards the Pentagon in Washington, last Saturday. Tens of thousands of protesters marched against the Iraq war, taking their message on placards, ``US out of Iraq now'', to the Pentagon's doorstep ahead of the fourth anniversary of the US invasion. Picture: AFP An anti-war demonstrator flashes the V sign to supporters of the war in Iraq prior to a march towards the Pentagon in Washington, DC, 17 March 2007. Tens of thousands of protesters marched against the Iraq war, taking their message on placards, "US out of
Monday, March 19, 2007
THOUSANDS of protesters were expected to take to the streets here and in major US West Coast cities yesterday to demand an immediate end to the war in Iraq as New York takes the relay from other US cities that have held massive anti-war marches.
United for Peace and Justice, which describes itself as the largest anti-war coalition in the United States, said it expected the protesters to turn up here en masse to mark the fourth anniversary of the US-led Iraq invasion.
"The national anti-war movement is planning a unified surge of protest actions calling on Congress to end the occupation and for the immediate withdrawal of US troops," the group said in a statement.
Massive anti-war rallies were also being organised in San Francisco, California; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched to the Pentagon's doorstep last Saturday demanding "US out of Iraq Now," ahead of the fourth anniversary of the US invasion.
People from across the United States gathered on a cold winter day to descend on the US Defence Department offices and decry the conflict that has killed more than 3,200 US soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians.
Former US attorney general Ramsey Clark called for President George W Bush's impeachment, while Cindy Sheehan, who lost a son in Iraq, demanded a US withdrawal.
"I marched in 1967 here," Maureen Dooley, 59, said outside the Pentagon, site of Vietnam war protests, but results were not immediate: "It took seven years to end the war."
War opponents trickled into Washington for the rally organized by the peace group Answer (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) as Vietnam war veterans wearing black leather jackets gathered nearby for a counter-demonstration.
Some war supporters confronted the peace activists, tearing up and spitting on anti-war signs while chanting: "USA! USA!"
Washington police do not give crowd estimates, but an AFP correspondent said tens of thousands of people could be seen at the march.
War opponents have organised a series of protests against the conflict that started March 20, 2003.
In Los Angeles, several thousand demonstrators took to the streets. Organisers of the rally in Hollywood estimated its size at "tens of thousands", while the Los Angeles Police Department said the figure was in the 5,000-6,000 range.
Protesters blew whistles and carried placards bearing slogans critical of Bush, such as "Worst President Ever" and "It's time for regime change in Washington".
A smattering of celebrities were also marching in the crowd, organisers said, including veteran actor and peace activist Martin Sheen and actress Maria Bello, the star of "Thank you for Smoking" and "A History of Violence".
Ian Thompson, of Answer, said the protest was the biggest in Los Angeles since 2005. "People have had enough and this is their way of showing it," Thompson told AFP.
"This government needs to start listening to what the people want. And most people don't want us to be fighting war in Iraq," Thompson added.
In European cities, protest turnout ranged from 400,000 in Madrid to thousands in Istanbul, Turkey and several hundred in Copenhagen, Prague, Athens and Thessaloniki in Greece.
Alan Pugh, 27, a computer student from Ohio, said he hoped the Washington protest would have the same impact as the mass demonstrations denouncing the Vietnam war decades ago.
"This is the 40th anniversary of the Vietnam protest that changed the direction and we hope we can do the same thing today," he said.
AFP
United for Peace and Justice, which describes itself as the largest anti-war coalition in the United States, said it expected the protesters to turn up here en masse to mark the fourth anniversary of the US-led Iraq invasion.
"The national anti-war movement is planning a unified surge of protest actions calling on Congress to end the occupation and for the immediate withdrawal of US troops," the group said in a statement.
Massive anti-war rallies were also being organised in San Francisco, California; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched to the Pentagon's doorstep last Saturday demanding "US out of Iraq Now," ahead of the fourth anniversary of the US invasion.
People from across the United States gathered on a cold winter day to descend on the US Defence Department offices and decry the conflict that has killed more than 3,200 US soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians.
Former US attorney general Ramsey Clark called for President George W Bush's impeachment, while Cindy Sheehan, who lost a son in Iraq, demanded a US withdrawal.
"I marched in 1967 here," Maureen Dooley, 59, said outside the Pentagon, site of Vietnam war protests, but results were not immediate: "It took seven years to end the war."
War opponents trickled into Washington for the rally organized by the peace group Answer (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) as Vietnam war veterans wearing black leather jackets gathered nearby for a counter-demonstration.
Some war supporters confronted the peace activists, tearing up and spitting on anti-war signs while chanting: "USA! USA!"
Washington police do not give crowd estimates, but an AFP correspondent said tens of thousands of people could be seen at the march.
War opponents have organised a series of protests against the conflict that started March 20, 2003.
In Los Angeles, several thousand demonstrators took to the streets. Organisers of the rally in Hollywood estimated its size at "tens of thousands", while the Los Angeles Police Department said the figure was in the 5,000-6,000 range.
Protesters blew whistles and carried placards bearing slogans critical of Bush, such as "Worst President Ever" and "It's time for regime change in Washington".
A smattering of celebrities were also marching in the crowd, organisers said, including veteran actor and peace activist Martin Sheen and actress Maria Bello, the star of "Thank you for Smoking" and "A History of Violence".
Ian Thompson, of Answer, said the protest was the biggest in Los Angeles since 2005. "People have had enough and this is their way of showing it," Thompson told AFP.
"This government needs to start listening to what the people want. And most people don't want us to be fighting war in Iraq," Thompson added.
In European cities, protest turnout ranged from 400,000 in Madrid to thousands in Istanbul, Turkey and several hundred in Copenhagen, Prague, Athens and Thessaloniki in Greece.
Alan Pugh, 27, a computer student from Ohio, said he hoped the Washington protest would have the same impact as the mass demonstrations denouncing the Vietnam war decades ago.
"This is the 40th anniversary of the Vietnam protest that changed the direction and we hope we can do the same thing today," he said.
AFP
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