War protests to move to NY after march on Pentagon

[Guest guest]

supposedly there were counter demonstrators in SF on sunday, but i didn't see

any

personally, i think they are fun to talk to, as for the most part they fall back

on " america love it er leave it " and they get really flustered....

 

War protests to move to NY after march on Pentagon

AFP

 

March 18, 2007

 

 

SIGNS OF PROTEST: Thousands of protesters against the war in Iraq participate in

the March on the Pentagon in Washington, March 17, 2007. Similar numbers of

anti-war protestors were expected in New York, Sunday.

(REUTERS)

--

 

NEW YORK, NY, USA -- Thousands of protesters were expected to take to the

streets in New York Sunday to demand an immediate end to the war in Iraq as

Gotham 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.

 

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched to the Pentagon's doorstep

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 Defense 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 added ruefully that 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 and 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 Agence France Presse

correspondent said tens of thousands of people could be seen at the march.

 

War opponents have organized a series of protests against the conflict that

started March 20, 2003.

 

In Los Angeles, several thousand demonstrators took to the streets. Organizers

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 to 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, organizers 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

said.

 

" 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, and several hundred in Copenhagen, Prague, and 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 fortieth anniversary of the Vietnam protest that changed [that

war's] direction and we hope we can do the same thing today, " he said.

 

Late Friday, about 100 people were arrested in Washington as they held a vigil

on a sidewalk in front of the White House and ignored police orders to disperse

in a protest organized by Christian Peace Witness for Iraq.

 

The leftist group MoveOn.org was also organizing candlelight vigils for Monday

in Washington and across the country, spokesman Steve Hoffman said.

 

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.

 

Peace activists want the US Congress, secured by the Democrats in November

elections that were marked by voter anger at the war, to push hard for the

withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.

 

But Democrats have so far failed to pass legislation that would compel Bush to

change course in Iraq.