"The March Is Just Beginning" Giant Protest March in New York City Condemns the U.S. government Attack on Iraq By Ronda Hauben "Our grief is not a cry for war", one sign proclaimed. "New York City is not for war", another protester explained. These were but two of the sea of homemade signs and people that filled the streets of New York City on Saturday, March 22, 2003. Protesters stretched at least two miles across Broadway, marching from 42nd Street to Washington Square Park. The Sacramento Bee reported that the New York City march was the largest in the U.S. on Saturday. The ability to have a march in New York City to protest the U.S. invasion of Iraq was itself a victory for New Yorkers. Some aspects of the march were in sharp contrast to the police tactics on February 15, when protesters were not only denied a permit to march, but many protesters were also denied access to the rally that police had given a permit. (1) Organizers of the march estimated that there were at least 350,000 protesters. A broadcast from the New York WBAI radio station of the Pacifica Network reported their estimate of a million people. A person at the march felt he could account for between 250,000 and 400,000 from the people he saw. Three young women carried a sign that said, "Real eyes realize real lies." They blamed the U.S. media for any support that there is for the war in the U.S., explaining how they appreciated their access to the alternative media via the Internet and via New York's WBAI radio station. It was clear to all at the march that this was a very big march. It was a march of people from New York City and surrounding areas, to publicly express their views that the attack on Iraq by their government disgusted them. In response to the claim that there is a silent majority who support the government's actions, one protester carried a sign saying, "We are the verbal majority." Yet at 4 p.m. the protest march was suddenly stopped by the police. Other people were not allowed to join it. The permit was until 4 p.m. and the police brought a big show of force to end the march. First they cleared the streets near Washington Square Park. Reports described how the police surrounded the park, gave people an order to leave, and then made it difficult for many people to find a way out. There were at least 91 people arrested. Lawyers said they were prevented from seeing those arrested until they would appear in the courthouse on Sunday morning. One protester remarked that if the police had stayed away, there wouldn't have been any trouble. Despite the brutality by the police at the end of the march, marchers filled the streets for over 4 hours. Protesters also lined the march route waving their signs, a few performing songs or dances. Some people at open windows in the buildings along the march route indicated their support for the protest. The many many people, of many nationalities, ages, and occupations, were in sharp contrast to the images in the U.S. media glorifying the bombing of a precious region of the world, the birthplace of civilization. Protesters indicted the Bush Regime as war criminals and compared the attack on Iraq to the beginning of the Second World War. Among such signs were those saying: "Poland 1939 Iraq 2003 Germany 1939 America 2003" Other protesters carried signs which read: "Bush 9-11, Hitler Reischstag, Stop Fascism", "End Fascism in the White House", "Depose King George", "Bush is a war criminal", "Bombing Baghdad is a war crime", "Shock and awe, violate international law", "War without representation = tyranny" A dog wore a sign "paws for peace." Two young girls held signs, "I'm 13 and I, Evan, know this war is wrong", and "Unlike Bush, I know right from wrong. "A small child carried on his father's shoulders wore a sign "Iraqi kids are as real as me". Other signs referred to patriotism as bringing the troops home and challenging the government's war such as the sign, "Asking for our troops to fight an unnecessary war is unexcuseable." The sentiment of protesters could be summed up by the sign, "America get out of New York City." Similar signs proclaimed, "Stop Bush, Take Back America," "This isn't the USA I love", "I fear Bush not Saddam", "I shouldn't have to fear my government". Another sign carried by a few people said "Welcome to Oz. Bush needs a brain. Cheney needs a heart. And Congress needs courage." Explaining why they had come to the march, several protesters described how watching tv coverage of the attack on Iraq, they knew they had to find a way to do something to try to stop the war. Whether it succeeded or not, they had to try. There were children, retired people, high school and college students, small contingents from unions like the UAW (the auto workers union), 1199/SEIU (A health and hospital workers union, which includes education workers) and TWU Local 100, the transit union workers. There were also workers from the city unions and teachers union, and many others. One protester explained that since the International AFL-CIO Executive Board had condemned the war, it was not as difficult for union locals to protest as it had been during the Vietnam war. The attack on the rights of people inside the U.S. was another theme of many signs, such as, "Repeal the Patriot Act", "Bush steals votes and oil". Marchers chanted, "Impeach Bush" and carried signs like "Evict the squatter from the White House." There were a number of veterans of past wars and of past protests against war. A retired sheet metal worker said he is spending his retirement going to protests in Washington and NYC. He explained he is doing what he can. Another retiree, Dave Silver, wore a cap that said "Veteran of the Battle of the Bulge." He described our current time as both "dangerous" and "unique". He felt that with the end of the Soviet Union, there is no counterforce to oppose U.S. corporate and government desires to dominate the world. There is also, however, the rise of an anti war movement. This is a much quicker development than before was possible before. He believed that though this movement needs a political thrust, it will grow stronger and will be able to prevent future wars, he predicted. Another protester described how he was impressed by the march. Whatever the U.S. government is doing and however horrible it is, he explained, protesters have come together with a great potential. An event like this generates a kind of energy, as you get a glimpse of the human potential to stop any war and to move to the next stage of human evolution. You wonder. Maybe a Bush in the White House brings the people into the streets and then people can see each other and know our potential. Don't be upset. It may not happen soon, but it is a wave set out by our march. It's a ripple that carries energy to other people. It's bigger than them (Bush, Cheney etc). What really would be good even after the war is over, he concluded, is to have people events like these where we again see each other with a common purpose. Asked for her thoughts as she was leaving the demonstration, a protester responded, "It was fabulous. So much spirit. So many signs. Funny, humorous, clever. One of the best was 'War is so last century'. All of us sitting in front of the television were furious." Her signs read: "Bush Speak: France made war inevitable by threatening to veto a resolution for war", "Bush finally won an election. He's been voted the most dangerous man on the planet in a plebiscite of the world's people. That's democracy." The march was an experience that participants will remember. Many hundreds of thousands of people in New York City, the city which directly experienced the "fear and awe" of 9-11, said a resounding "No" to the U.S. government claim that its attack on Iraq is made necessary by 9-11. Large numbers of New Yorkers came out boldly, determined to do what they could to prevent civilians in Iraq from suffering from "fear and awe". One sign sums up what many participating in the protest felt, "We are part of an international coalition of millions." Notes: (1)There were more than 250 complaints received by the New York Civil Liberties Unit to document the extent of the violation on civil liberties on February 15, by the New York City police. See http://www.nyclu.org/right_to_march2_ 022603.html