March 20 National Roundup

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."

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.

Internationally, people took to the streets in the millions across the Middle East, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe. A more detailed international round up and photographs will be available soon.

New photographs of the demonstrations in New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago and Spain are available at
www.internationalanswer.org/news/update/032004m20report.html

New York City

Chanting "Occupation is a crime from Iraq to Palestine" and "Bring the troops home now," more than 100,000 people marched in New York City. 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.

The demonstration was initiated 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, including Al-Awda: the Palestine Right to Return Coalition, the Arab Muslim American Federation, Free Palestine Alliance, Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation, and the Muslim Student Association of the U.S. and Canada.

The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition and the March 20 National Coalition revised their main slogan for the demonstration in recent weeks to highlight the U.S. occupation of Haiti and the U.S. coup that ousted the democratically elected president, Jean  Bertrand-Aristide. The lead march banner read "Bring the Troops Home Now, End Occupation: Iraq, Palestine, Haiti & everywhere." A significant Haitian contingent was part of the demonstration, as well as many other contingents. Thousands of flyers were handed out for the upcoming April 7 meeting in Brooklyn, New York, opposing the U.S. occupation of Haiti.

San Francisco

The San Francisco march and rally of 50,000 was initiated by the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, San Francisco's main anti-war group. Other sponsoring organizations included the Free Palestine Alliance; Vanguard Foundation; International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 10; Bay Area United Against War; Muslim Student Association; and many other organizations.

The turnout more than doubled the expectations of organizers. The march took two hours to begin leaving Dolores Park in the Mission District, and finally finish arriving in Civic Center Plaza, adjacent to City Hall. Among the speakers were actor Woody Harrelson, United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta, Gloria La Riva of the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five, Pierre Labossiere of the Haiti Action Committee, Henry Graham-President of ILWU Local 10, Zeina Zaatari of the Free Palestine Alliance, war resister Steven Funk, Richard Becker of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition and many others.

The front of the procession was crowded with banners and signs in English, Spanish, and Arabic, supporting an end to colonial occupation in Iraq, and freedom for Palestine. Many veterans and veterans' groups marched. Also included in the march were contingents of labor, students, and one for same-sex marriage equality. A large contingent of dock workers, including the ILWU Local 10 drill team joined demonstration.

Los Angeles

The Los Angeles march and rally of 20,000 was initiated by the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, 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. 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!

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. 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.

Chicago

From the Chicago Coalition Against War & Racism:

Mayor Daley's office had refused to grant a permit for marchers to proceed down Michigan Ave. and police were deployed in full riot gear in numbers perhaps as high as 2,500. Despite these anti-democratic actions by the Mayor's office and the Chicago Police, thousands from across the Midwest converged at the intersection of Michigan and Pearson and marched peacefully to Federal plaza.

City and Police officials refused to allow the march to proceed down Michigan Ave. claiming "safety" would be compromised if traffic flow was hampered. Nonetheless, after routing the protest down Clark Street, officials temporarily closed parts of Michigan to traffic anyway, using the space to hold police vehicles and buses for possible mass arrests.

This march commemorated both the invasion of Iraq and the mass Chicago protest against that crime on March 20, 2003. On that date Chicago Police conducted the mass arrest of over five hundred peaceful protestors and bystanders. All charges were either dropped or thrown out of court and a lawsuit has been filed against the City.

For follow up information, photos and video of the march please visit chicago.indymedia.org

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