Large Anti-War protest in Los Angeles

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Sunday September 25, 2005 01:23 by Our Los Angeles Correspondent - IMC Internationale

ANSWER organized protest shows war still unpopular

Today, Saturday 24th Sept 2005, approximately 15,000 people turned out on a humid but pleasant mid-morning to protest the US presence in Iraq. Although the crowd was smaller than previous protests against the war it was diverse and determined.

Representatives from the FMLN (El Salavdor), the Bus Riders Union (a surprisingly militant group of predominantly young Latino/as and Koreans), ANSWER, Nepalese Maoists, Zapatistas and other leftist groupings mingled with affluent Green Party members, Christians and individuals.

The march organized by ANSWER started with people gathering downtown at 11am and finally kicked off at about 11:45 am. The usual route over three or four miles downtown ended up at the Federal building near 2nd Street. The most visible presence was that of Veterans for Peace who had hundreds of supporters dressed in black carrying coffins draped in the American flag.

By about 2am the majority of the march had assembled and either formed into drum circles (Maoist and Revolutionary Communist Party) or indigenous dance groups with drummers and other percussionists while another part of the march listened to speeches from a variety of backgrounds (Ron Kovic spoke as did one of the "Gold Star Mothers"). The sentiment was clear and unmistakable: troops home now. There was no waffling about how to withdraw and how we "need to stay the course". It was an unambiguous call for immediate withdrawal.

Although it was a fairly uninspiring march and none of us felt that it was placing any pressure on the government it was still useful to see so many people mad enough to give up a beautiful morning to march in solidarity with each other and with the oppressed people of Iraq. An Iraqi flag was flown during the speeches and more than one speaker referred to the horrible occupation of the West Bank.