20.03.2010 Act Now to Stop War

20.03.2010: Peace March in Washington, D.C.

Am 20.03., dem Jahrestag des Beginns des letzten Irak-Krieges werden wieder Zehntausende Amerikaner in Washington, San Francisco und weiteren Städten ihre Regierung auffordern die sinnlosen Kriege im Irak und Afghanistan zu beenden und ihre Truppen nach Hause zu holen.

Die Arbeitsgruppe Polizei, Geheimdienste & Militär im Aktionsbündnis Freiheit statt Angst e.V. solidarisiert sich mit den Demonstranten und erinnert daran, dass eine Militarisierung der Gesellschaft stets nur zu mehr Überwachung und Unterordnung führt. Eine zivile freiheitliche Gesellschaft kann sich nur im Frieden entwickeln.

http://www.March20.org

Weitere Unterstützer:

For Mar 20 DC peace demo

Bring All the Troops Home Now!

Network For Peace

March 20 Anti-War March —San Francisco

A.N.S.W.E.R.

Labor Unions Speak Out: ‘We’re Marching on March 20′

Antiwar Demo March 20

On March 20, We the People will take a stand
National March on Washington
12 noon at the White House

IndictBushNow

Die ersten Augenzeugenberichte von den Antikriegsdemonstrationen:

THOUSANDS TAKE TO THE STREETS TO DEMAND:
U.S. OUT OF AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ NOW!

Click to see a slideshow of the March 20 March on Washington.

On Saturday, thousands of people converged at the White House for
the March 20 March on Washington-the largest anti-war
demonstration since the announcement of the escalation of the
Afghanistan war. By the time the march started at 2 p.m., the crowd
had swelled up to 10,000 protesters.

Dozens of buses came from at least 44 cities in 19 states.
Demonstrators rallied and marched shoulder to shoulder to demand
"U.S. Out of Iraq and Afghanistan Now," "Free Palestine,"
"Reparations for Haiti" and "No sanctions against Iran" as well as
"Money for jobs, education and health care!"

Speakers at the Washington rally represented a broad cross section of
the anti-war movement, including veterans and military families,
labor, youth and students, immigrant right groups, and the Muslim and
Arab American community.

Following the rally, a militant march led by veterans, active-duty
service members and military families made its way through the streets
of D.C. carrying coffins draped in Afghan, Iraqi, Pakistani, Somali,
Yemeni, Haitian and U.S. flags, among those of other countries, as a
symbol of the human cost of war and occupation. Coffins were dropped
off along the way at Halliburton, the Washington Post, the U.S.
Department of Veteran Affairs and other institutions connected to the
war profiteering, propaganda, and human suffering. The final coffin
drop-off was at the White House-the decision-making center of
U.S. imperialism.

Click to see a slideshow of the March 20 March on Washington.

The demonstration received substantial media coverage. It was featured
in a major story on page A3 on the Sunday Washington Post. An Associated
Press article on the March on Washington was picked up by a large number
of newspapers and media outlets in the United States and abroad.

Click below to read the Washington Post article.

Joint demonstrations in San Francisco and Los Angeles drew 5,000 and
3,000 people respectively.

In San Francisco, the demonstration included the participation of
UNITE HERE Local 2 hotel workers, who are presently fighting for a
contract; students, teachers and parents who have been organizing
against education budget cutbacks; and community members and activists
who have been engaged in a struggle to stop fare hikes and service
cuts.

In Los Angeles, 3,000 people marched through the streets of Hollywood
carrying not only coffins but also large tombstones that read
"R.I.P. Health care / Jobs / Public Education / Housing,"
to draw attention to the economic war being waged against
working-class people at home in order to fund the wars abroad.
Essential social services are being slashed to pay for the largest
defense budget in history.

The March 20 demonstrations mark a new phase for the anti-war
movement. A new layer of activists joined these actions in large
numbers, including numerous youth and students from multinational,
working-class communities. A sharp connection was drawn between the
wars abroad and the war against working people at home. Though smaller
than the demonstrations of 2007, this mobilization was larger than the
demonstration last year-the first major anti-war action under
the Obama administration. The real-life experience of the past year
has shown that what we need is not a change in the presidency, but a
change in the system that thrives on war, militarism and profits.

These demonstrations were a success thanks to the committed work of
thousands of organizers and volunteers around the country. They raised
funds, spread the word through posters and flyers, organized buses and
other transportation, and carried out all the work that was needed on
the day of the demonstration. We took to the streets in force even as
the government tried to silence us with tens of thousands of dollars
in illegal fines for postering in Washington, D.C., and felony charges
against activists for postering in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

We want to especially thank all those who made generous donations for
this mobilization. Without those contributions, we could not have
carried out this work.

March 20 was an important step forward for the anti-war movement.
We must continue to build on this momentum in the months ahead. Your
donation will help us recover much-needed funds that helped pay for
this weekend's successful demonstration, as well as prepare for the
actions to come.