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
http://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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build on the momentum of today’s demonstration. Please
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