Nationwide Protests Demand Peace!

October 7, 2002

During the weekend of October 5-6, hundreds of thousands of people took part in anti-war marches, meetings and other public events.

Mass activities were organized in hundreds of cities from Anchorage, Alaska to Austin, Texas to Tallahassee, Florida. Fifty thousand (50,000) people rallied in Central Park, New York City, 12,000 in Portland, Oregon, 10,000 in Seattle, 5,000 in Chicago, tens of thousands across California, etc., etc. Medium-sized and small cities, such as Nashville, Salt Lake City, Kickapoo, Westerly, New Haven, etc., etc., also took part in a coordinated weekend of protest.

Scores of anti-war organizations, student groups, political organizations, trade unions, women's organizations, minority groups, and people from many walks of life joined in these actions.

The immediate focus was to demand "No War Against Iraq!"

At the same time, these actions reflected people's growing consciousness of the need to build an ongoing, proactive anti-war movement which opposes the government's "war against international terrorism" all along the line. People expressed support for the just cause of the peoples in Palestine, Colombia, the Philippines and elsewhere who are fighting against U.S. intervention.

Speakers and literature at the rallies also denounced the growing fascistization of the country such as the racist campaign against immigrants and Muslims, the attacks on civil liberties as well as the militarization of the economy.

Perhaps most importantly the participants pledged to continue the struggle, returning home to take up the work of further politicizing themselves and mobilizing their neighbors, friends and co-workers into the anti-war movement.

The fact is that every day more people are going into action against the government's war program. We must work to bring the whole American people to their feet to assert their ardent desire for peace.