Antiwar actions nationwide reinforced Jan. 26 mobilization
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10 SOCIALIST ACTION FEBRUARY 1991 LOS ANGELES—Between 18,000 and 20,000 people turned out on Jan. 26 for the largest antiwar demonstration in this area since the Vietnam War. "Bring the Troops Home Now!" was the prevailing slogan as the marchers made their way through downtown to a rally at Los Angeles City Hall.
Contingents of veterans for peace, solidarity organizations, church groups, and high school and college students from throughout Southern California were prominent in the march.
A sizable labor contingent displayed banners from the Machinists, IBEW, SETU, and Justice for Janitors.
For over two months, Los Angeles antiwar activists have organized weekly demonstrations outside the Federal Building in Westwood.
Before Jan. 16-the day the bombing started—the media was fairly accurate in its ...250,000 in D.C.
is end the occupation of Panama. And then we'd invade the biggest criminal country in the world—South Africa." There was sustained applause.
Klein urged an immediate end to the war. "The problems we face today are not in Kuwait, the Middle East, or Central America. They're right here in America." He said the United States needs to "stop the war abroad. Fight the war at home and get new priorities that put human needs first."
The mother of a 25-year-old soldier deployed in Saudi Arabia spoke and put the lie to those who call antiwar protesters "unpatriotic." Lashing out at the U.S. warmakers, she said, "It is those who send our young men and women to die for oil that are unpatriotic, that have no respect for this country."
Actor Tim Robbins, who served as an "emcee" for part of the rally, blasted the U.S. media for their lack of coverage of the antiwar movement. Telling the crowd that "the whole world is watching and they're pissed," Robbins related the news of massive antiwar demonstrations that had taken place in Madrid, Stockholm, Berlin, in cities throughout France, and elsewhere, and asked, "Where are the reports of these demonstrations in the American media?"
Perhaps the most stirring remarks came from a woman whose husband was killed in the Vietnam War. She told the crowd how she had been trained as an Army wife not to coverage of antiwar events. Now, however, the newspapers and radio stations regularly black out or downplay antiwar activitieswhile boosting much smaller pro-war events.
The Los Angeles Times, for example, accepted the "police count" of only 2500 people at the Jan. 26 march. And yet, the same article acknowleged that the protesters had marched seven abreast for nine blocks!
Despite the media's distortions, the weekly demonstrations will continue. To get involved, call the L.A. Coalition Against U.S. Intervention in the Middle East at (213) 655-3728.
BALTIMORE-Four hundred people rallied here on Jan. 17 at the Fifth Regimental Armory. Following that, approximately 100 people, mainly high school students, held an impromptu march to the Inner Harbor.
The Baltimore Student Coalition Against the War has been holding weekly meetings think about what was going on in Vietnam. "There's no boot camp for widows, orphans, the dead and the wounded," she declared. Holding aloft the flag that draped her husband's coffin, she said, "There is no glory in a folded flag or a Purple Heart. This folded flag didn't raise my children. This folded flag didn't love me and bring me joy." Veterans from the Smedley Butler Brigade, with whom I was standing, openly wept.
Leslie Cagan of the National Campaign Jackson; Molly Yard, president of the National Organization for Women; Daniel Ellsberg; actors Susan Sarandon, Griffin Dunne, and Margot Kidder; and activists from antiracist and Central America solidarity organizations.
Locally coordinated actions were announced for the weekend of Feb. 15-17.
...200,000 in S.F.
Area labor councils.
The coalition, initiated by four local peace groups-the Committee Against A Vietnam War in the Middle East (CAVME); Middle East Peace Action; the Peninsula Peace Center; and SANE/Freeze-was the West Coast organizer for national actions that were called by the New York-based National Campaign for Peace in the Middle East.
The San Francisco mobilization was pegged around three central demands: "Bring involving students from over 15 high schools and colleges.
Nine busloads went to Washington, D.C. for the Jan. 26 march, with at least that many more people driving to D.C. At least half of those on the buses were high school students. An almost equal number of buses went to D.C. for the Jan. 19 demonstration.
A rally was held at Johns Hopkins University on Jan. 23, and there has been an ongoing teach-in at the Maryland Institute of Art. The local antiwar coalition is planning coordinated activities for Feb. 21.
BOSTON-On Jan. 14, approximately 2500 people attended a teach-in against the war organized by a student group, the MIT Initiative for Peace in the Middle East. Jesse Jackson was among the speakers. The MIT group used the event to kick off a week-long series of events and a 24-hour "Peace Center."
Beginning Monday, Jan. 14, the Troops Home Now! " "No War in the Middle East!," and "Money for Human Needs, Not War!"
Virtually every sector of the local community was visible at the Jan. 26 march.
Contingents representing the labor movement, Black, Latino, Asian, and Pacific Island communities, students from virtually all local campuses, and tens of thousands of unaffiliated individuals—mostly young people-marched along 14 blocks of Market St. to a rally at the city's Civic Center. Some protestors came from as far away as Montana, Utah, Alaska, Washington and Hawaii.
Leading off the march was a 1000-strong contingent of veterans organized by the United Bay Area Veterans Against a War in the Middle East.
By far, the most predominant demand on picket signs carried by the demonstrators was "Support the Troops, Bring Them Home Now!"
Thousands of other picket signs read: "No War for Oil!," "U.S. Out of the Middle East!, " "Vets Say No War!," "Money for Healthcare, Not Warfare!," etc. Many people made their own signs-but with an individualistic twist: "I'd Rather be a Wimp Than an Oil Pimp," Smart Bombs, Dumb Politicians," and "Send Neil Bush!," to name a few.
The undercurrent at the rally which followed the march was one of commitment to continue demonstrating until the Gulf War is ended.
Jeff Mackler, a central organizer for the Jan. 26 Mobilization and coordinator of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)-sponsored commemoration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King.
The leaflet announcing this meeting stated, "We need a war against economic injustice, racism and discrimination, not a war in the Middle East." Over 25,000 copies of this leaflet were distributed. The reverse side included information on the Jan. 26 march in Washington.
On Jan. 17, protesters again gathered at the British Petroleum headquarters in Cleveland. High school students in the small working class town of Lorain walked out of Classes to protest the war. Demonstrations and meetings were held at most nearby campuses.
The Cleveland Campaign for Peace in the Middle East filled 13 buses for the Jan. 26 march in Washington. The Central America Network, Grassroots Political Action Committee, Greens, SANE/Freeze, Unitarians and Women Speakout for Peace and Justice/Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) had buses in this caravan. Students from Hiram College, John Carroll, Cleveland State, Baldwin Wallace, and Cuyahoga Community College packed three of the buses. Separate buses left from Oberlin College, Akron and Youngstown. The Arab Community Center organized vans.
Committee Against A Vietnam War in the Middle East (CAVME), received an enthusiastic ovation when he said, "We will stay in the streets for as long as it takes to bring our boys home alive." Many in the crowd clamored for a similar demonstration the following week.
Dolores Huerta, vice-president of the United Farmworkers of America (UFW), exposed the hypocrisy of George Bush by saying, "Bush says he's worried about Saddam Hussein using poison chemicals when, in fact, thousands of young children are dying each day from poison pesticides in the farm fields of America."
Walter Johnson, secretary-treasurer of the San Francisco Labor council, expressed the underlying sentiment that mobilized all the people in front of him. "Our job," he said, "is to be united around one word: peace."
Jan. 26 organizers announced from the stage that the next mobilization will be centered around local marches and rallies on Saturday, Feb. 16. The San Francisco event will be at 12 noon at Sharon Meadows in Golden Gate Park. For more information contact: Mobilization to Bring the Troops Home Now!, 255 Ninth St., San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 626-8053.
Post Office Box 404830 Brooklyn, NY 11240-4830
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declared that "today's massive outpouring indicates the breadth and strength of this movement." Other speakers included Jesse
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