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At demonstrations called by the ANSWER Coalition, more than 25,000 people marched through the streets of San Francisco, while another 20,000 took to the streets in Los Angeles.
The two West Coast demonstrations were the largest of the over 500 actions in the United States that were scheduled as part of a global day of action marking the third anniversary of the war of aggression against Iraq.
The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition's demonstrations, and the call to action issued by A.N.S.W.E.R. in early November, explicitly connected the Iraq war with the ongoing assault against the Palestinian people, the U.S. overthrow of the Haitian government, and the intensifying threats and intervention against Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and the Philippines.
The call to action also linked the antiwar movement to the struggle against racism and for workers' rights at home, highlighting the government's racist and criminal negligence of the people of New Orleans and the other areas ravaged by the hurricane.
At the Los Angeles demonstration, which began at 12 noon at Hollywood and Vine, speakers included Academy Award winner, Paul Haggis, Vietnam War Veteran Ron Kovic, and Golden Globe nominated actress Maria Bello. Click here for more details and photos from L.A.
In San Francisco, the 25,000 strong antiwar demonstrators showed their solidarity with hotel workers who have been working without a contract, by marching to the Hilton hotel, one of fourteen hotels being boycotted by the labor movement. A militant delegation of hotel workers were part of the demonstration and set up a rally at the hotel as the march passed by. The keynote speaker in San Francisco was Malik Rahim, a leader of Common Ground Relief in New Orleans. The march included a very multinational and diverse crowd, including strong contingents from the Palestinian community, the Filipino community, and a very large contingent from the American Indian Movement. Click here for more details and photos from San Francisco.
In Seattle, the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition initiated a demonstration of 2,000 people. In Chicago, feeder marches took place around the city, including in total 6,000 protesters. In New York City, several thousand demonstrators rallied at Times Square, in an action initiated by TONC, and marched to the U.N. In Fayetteville, North Carolina, home of Fort Bragg, 1,200 rallied. Hundreds of other antiwar actions have taken place across the U.S. today.
In New York City, Sunday, March 19, a Youth & Student March and Speakout took place in the Bronx. In front of a major recruitment center, youth and students spoke out against the war at home and abroad. Click here for more details and photos from the day.
Please take a moment to send a report and a photo from your city so that information can be included in the nationwide round-up. Click here to post your photos and report on the People's Online Speakout - a project of A.N.S.W.E.R.