Press Coverage of Emergency Anti-War Actions

ANTI-WAR MARCHERS TAKE TO THE STREETS IN EMERGENCY
PROTESTS IN MORE THAN 60 CITIES THROUGHOUT THE U.S.

Demonstrators in the U.S. Demand End the Siege of
Fallujah, Bring the Troops Home Now

Thanks to everyone who have helped with the rapid response
emergency anti-war demonstrations that have taken place in
the last 48 hours in more than 60 cities. Additional
actions are scheduled for tomorrow (Monday). The
demonstrations not only brought tens of thousands of
people into the streets in local rallies and marches, the
actions also attracted widespread media coverage both in
the United States and around the world. The emergency call
to action was issued by the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition (Act
Now to Stop War & End Racism). Our message that the U.S.
government must Bring the Troops Home Now and End the
Occupation of Iraq was heard from East to West and North
to South.

There are articles about the emergency anti-war actions in
the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Oakland
Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, AP, AFP, Xinua
(China), Seattle Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, and
hundreds of other news outlets, as well as substantial
television and radio coverage. You can check out the press
coverage of the emergency anti-war demonstrations by going
to: http://www.votenowar.org/april10.htm

These demonstrations, organized on less than three days
notice, are a rapid response from the people of the United
States to the Bush Administration’s escalation of their
attacks on the people of Iraq, who are uniting in their
opposition to colonial occupation. The emergency actions
fell on the first anniversary of the capture of Baghdad by
U.S. military forces and eleven months after George W.
Bush declared major military operations were over as he
stood on the deck of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln aircraft
carrier under the banner "Mission Accomplished." While
Bush’s approval ratings and public support for the war has
dramatically declined since then, the anti-war movement
has picked up strength. In addition to recent mass
national demonstrations, today’s emergency local actions
show the breadth of grassroots organizing in the U.S.
Within 24 hours of the emergency call to action, dozens of
cities were announcing coordinated demonstrations between
April 9 and 12.

Chanting "Money for jobs and education, not for war and
occupation," more than 3,000 people marched through the
streets of San Francisco on Saturday, April 10. In New
York, 700-1000 people marched through mid-town Manhattan
in rush hour on the Good Friday holiday. A protest of 500
took place at the same time in Los Angeles. In Washington
DC, where 500 people marched on Saturday, people came out
of restaurants, homes and businesses to join with the
marchers. Chants of "Impeach Bush," echoed through
Lafayette Park at the opening rally across from the White
House. Also on Saturday, a protest of 500 took place in
Boston. Dozens of demonstrations also occurred throughout
the U.S. from big cities like Chicago, San Diego, Atlanta,
Birmingham, and Seattle to medium and small cities and
towns including Fayetteville, AK; Ferndale, MI; Pocatello,
ID; and Gettysburg, PA. In addition to the U.S. protests,
coordinated actions were also held in scores of cities in
countries around the world in the last two days.

The Iraqi people, especially those in Fallujah, are
enduring a heavy assault ordered by the Pentagon.
Throughout Iraq the people are making it clear that they
want the occupation to end. The actions over the weekend
send a powerful message that the people in the United
States oppose the Bush administration’s criminal policies
in Iraq, in Haiti, in Palestine and wherever people are
living under foreign occupation.

It was noteworthy that in the demonstrations throughout
the country in the last two days, people condemned the
Bush administration for spending hundreds of billions of
dollars to occupy other lands while insisting that "budget
constraints" require the slashing of vitally needed social
programs and funding for education, healthcare, housing
and jobs.

Let’s keep up the pressure. It is critical that the people
of the United States continue to act in the coming weeks
and months. Thousands of Iraqis and a growing number of
U.S. soldiers will be killed and maimed until this
criminal adventure comes to an end.

Be sure to check out the press coverage of the emergency
anti-war demonstrations by going to:
http://www.votenowar.org/april10.htm