Ricevo ed inoltro.
Ciao
Elisabetta Filippi
(Servizio Civile Internazionale)
-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Sept. 18, 2003
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
"END OCCUPATION IN IRAQ, PALESTINE, EVERYWHERE":
PLANNED PROTESTS FOR SEPT. 25-28 IN U.S., WORLD
By John Catalinotto
Organizers of Sept. 28 demonstrations to demand an end to the
occupations of Iraq and all of Palestine say the mood is beginning to
feel like "last year's October to March anti-war protests."
Last spring, many of the groups worldwide that had demonstrated to try
to stop the war on Iraq called for an international day of action for
Sept. 27 or 28, which is the third anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Intifada.
The focus was to be on Palestine solidarity, and also on ending the
occupation of Iraq.
At the time it was hard to predict whether these would be limited to
symbolic solidarity actions, or begin to reignite the world movement
that had grown to over 10 million people last February. The answer
depends on political developments, as various organizers have reported.
In Turkey, where a national demonstration is planned for Ankara on Sept.
27, the question of whether Turkish troops will be sent to Iraq has
sharpened the struggle. The same is true for a newer movement in Poland,
which will gather in Warsaw to demand the Polish troops occupying
southern Iraq near Babylon be brought home.
In the Middle East and North Africa, anti-U.S. demonstrations are often
threatened by the local ruling groups. The ongoing violent occupations
in Palestine and Iraq can stir such strong mass response that it leads
to clashes with the repressive state. Reports from Middle Eastern
organizers of Against U.S. and Israeli Globalization and Hegemony say
demonstrations are planned in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Iraq,
Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Sudan, Morocco, Algeria, Iran and
Pakistan.
In Britain, the Stop the War Coalition expects its Sept. 27 action to be
massive. The protest comes as the Tony Blair administration has been put
on the defensive about the lies it told to justify invading Iraq.
At least 39 countries are planning solidarity events. These include
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Japan, Macedonia, Mexico, Netherlands,
Norway, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain and Thailand.
BUSH HITS A LOW AT HOME
In the United States the organizing is hitting its stride just as the
Bush administration has had to admit that the plan to control Iraq is in
a crisis. President George W. Bush now wants $87 billion to try to bring
Iraq to heel, plus the support of the United Nations he scorned getting
into the war. And the Pentagon has had to announce extended duty for
already war-weary reservists and National Guard GIs.
Meanwhile the economic news at home is going from bad to worse, with 2
million jobs lost in the past two years. Bush's ratings in the polls are
the lowest they've been since he was able to use the Sept. 11, 2001,
attack to whip up patriotism and support for the administration and its
war. This slippage has encouraged anti-war activists to step up their
work.
In Los Angeles, where a protest at a Bush fundraiser brought out
thousands of people earlier this summer, organizers from the ANSWER
coalition are hopeful about the Sept. 28 turnout. "It was quiet a few
weeks ago," said Los Angeles ANSWER organizer John Beacham, "but now
there is a strong core of volunteers getting out leaflets and pasting up
posters all over the county."
In Los Angeles, the emphasis is about equally on Palestine and Iraq. The
top of the leaflet reads, "On the anniversary of the Palestinian
Intifada," and in big type, "End Occupation in Iraq, Palestine and
Everywhere. No to Empire, no to Colonialism. Bring the Troops Home Now."
The text of the leaflet demands no intervention in Afghanistan, Korea,
the Philippines, Africa and Latin America.
ANSWER is organizing the demonstration along with groups representing
the Arab community, South Asians, Koreans and Filipinos, as well as more
traditional peace groups.
Fernando Suarez, a Mexican-American who is the father of a GI killed in
Iraq and who is strongly anti-war, will be speaking at a news conference
and at the rally Sept. 28.
In New York on Sept. 8 an equally diverse group of 30 organizers from
about a dozen organizations met at the International Action Center
office to plan that city's Sept. 28 action. Groups attending included
three from the Arab and Arab-American community, and also
representatives from the gay community, Koreans, Philippines support
groups, and the IAC and ANSWER.
The activists were determined to find ways to use banners and flags to
show both solidarity with the embattled Palestinians and enthusiasm for
going on the offensive against Bush and Co. over Iraq. A working meeting
then followed to lay the structure for what promises to be a strong
demonstration from the Columbus Circle area through midtown Manhattan.
San Francisco organizers expect a mass demontration there on Sept. 28.
They report that similar coalition meetings have taken place, and are
optimistic that people will come from all over central and northern
California.
Other meetings and marches taking place include: Sept. 25 in Alexandria,
Va., and Rutland, Vt.; Sept. 26 in Patterson, N.J., and Chicago; Sept.
27 in San Diego, Saint Louis, Kansas City, Mo., Santa Barbara, Calif.,
and Detroit; and on Sept. 28 in Seattle and Boston. Details on these and
some international events are listed on the ANSWER website at
www.internationalanswer.org/campaigns/ s28/sep25_28events.html.
- END -
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