Thousands Of Protesters Worldwide Condemn Iraq War

AFP:

Thousands of protestors marched against the Iraq war in Los Angeles on Saturday as part of a global day of action that drew huge crowds in London and smaller protests elsewhere in Europe and Canada.

Police said about 2,000 people marched through Hollywood, while organizers put the figure at 10,000. They carried banners denouncing President George W. Bush and urged an end to the conflict in Iraq, where 155,000 US troops are deployed.

Earlier, thousands of people gathered in London and the Scottish city of Glasgow ahead of the fifth anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq on March 20, calling for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Police in London said there were 10,000 on the streets but organizers the Stop the War Coalition put the crowds at between 30,000 to 40,000. In Glasgow police estimated between 1,000 to 1,500 protesters at the height of the march.

In Los Angeles, Vietnam war veteran Ron Kovic, whose book "Born on the Fourth of July" was turned into a film with Tom Cruise, joined the march down Hollywood Boulevard in his wheelchair.

Shot and paralyzed in Vietnam 40 years ago, he told AFP he felt "sorrow" and "anguish" for the Iraqi people and for the US men and women fighting there "who are suffering, who are losing their arms and legs, who are being killed."

"But I feel more than anything, when I see what's going on in Iraq I feel determined, determined to fight with everything within us to stop this madness," he added.

Meanwhile in London, veteran left-winger and former Labour Party lawmaker Tony Benn said Britain's involvement in Iraq, where the country has 4,100 troops, and Afghanistan, where it has 7,800, had caused "devastation."

Keep reading.

Read the whole story: AFP

Comments

[Polar]

The number of protestors worldwide didn't match the number of American protestors in some of the larger Viet Name Anti-War marches in the United States. Pathetic.

[MMB]

As this nomination process stumbles along, I can't get it out of my head that this "movement" inspired by Barak Obama could have done so much to bring the possiblitlites of impeachment and possible removal from office of Bush and Cheney and just how different these campaigns, not to mention the state of affairs, would be at this present time.

Where were YOU all when we the US declared War on Iraq in the name of TERROR. Where was Obama or Clinton when it came to inspiring the masses to rise up, shout out loud, demand to be featured as more than sound bites on the 11 o'clock news. To demand the IMPEACHMENT these war mongers, profiteers and criminals. It was the Conyers, the Feingold's, the Kucinch's, NOT Obama or Clinton.

Why was this movement so silent? The younger voters seem to be a large base of the Obama supporters­..........­.Where were you when it came time for us to say NO to the War in Iraq and NO to Bush? You could have made such a difference then......even saved lives.

Questions....if Obama had taken up the torch for Articles of Impeachment would you have been inspired then? What would it have taken?

[mamacat]

There were massive protests before Bush invaded Iraq, and they continue. The whole world gets it, except Bush and the Republicans.

So, how does the logic go? We've been fighting and killing Iraqi insurgents for 5 years (March 19, 2003) in order to free them?
Since the pictures of Americans torturing Iraqis at abu Ghraib were released in 2004, that argument has been very difficult to believe. Even today, Bush, McCain, and the rest of the Republicans refuse to denounce torture as official U.S. policy towards prisoners. "Torture is bad, but it isn't torture when we do it!"

[MagisterLudi]

Peaceful protest and resistance is ALWAYS a great model for influencing others and creating pressure on the government.

Eh, Osama?

[Berettasskeeter]

I particularly like the comment that, "you can't bomb your way to peace". I'm sure the Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Filipinos, Czhecks, British, French, Belgians, Danes, Russians, Greeks, Italians, Maltese, Hungarians, Slavs of all types, would disagree!
Semper fi

[MagisterLudi]

What primitive...

Sempre ignarus.

[Berettasskeeter]

Primitive?! Really? How so? All of those countries were freed of Nazi, Japanese, and Italian oppression. And it was done by bombing and killing. How is it primitive?
Semper fi

[ByersL]

I wish I could have been there. We are way too complacent people, and we need to organize to support to bring our soldiers home now.

[Purple Girl]

Count those of US who can only participate on the Blogesphere, because we are drowning in Corp imposed Debt to take a damn day off!
We not only want these Corp business stratedgies stopped we want their heads on recycled paper plates (not worth staining our Silver Platters with such vile toxins from these BEASTS).
Damacus Sword is dropping fast- those Inc's who wish to escape should being to Speak out aginst those who have perpetuated this Treason, War crimes and Crimes against Humanity.
As bill Cosby's line goes'WE brought you into this World, and We can Take You out!"
Starting with the'chatterboxes' Stop Talking and START SINGING!

[TimN]

"Corp imposed Debt"


Code word for "I don't have enough responsibility to pay my bills on time and enough discipline not to buy stuff I can't afford"

[AngerAndDetermination]

See: "Maxed Out." Great documentary on the credit card industry.

[realpolitic]

Do you have enough responsibility to occasionally be honest in a foreign policy debate?

[njdon]

irrelevant thought of the day ------
re: what is osama bin laden thinking?
many people claim they are worried about what obl is thinking.
questions:1. would he rather watch nascar or ncaa colege basketball?
2. what colleges would he pick for the final four?
yours truly, njdon.

[kardwell]

bin Laden is dead.
but there are now millions of people who will now kill for his cause because of the terror the US has meted out upon their land.

a more relevant question would be "what are all those people who we have bombed back to the stone age thinking?"

there are millions of people in iraq who have lost everything -- their homes, their families, their jobs, clean drinking water, power, health facilities, all hope -- due to the illegal american occupation of their country.

the bush administration has staged a virtual heist of not only their country, but ours as well.

[Miket53]

The story is written like the world is against war. Hmm...500 in Denmark...100 in another country....1,000 in Canada. I believe the mall down the street has about 2,000 people in it on a given Saturday. I think the hidden message is that there is little support to end the war because it is necessary. All these protesters speak like war is a hobby...
"lets just leave now". They convienently forget that there are terrorists out there whose goal is to kill anyone from American or western societies. That means the protestors are included. Do they get that?
-On Cindy Sheehan...a very sad story of Liberals USING a sick woman for advancing their cause then tossing her aside like garbage. Do people see the true side of liberalism?

Miket
http://mtaricani.blogspot.com/

[AngerAndDetermination]

Republicans are not trying to save America; they are not trying to save Iraq. They are trying to save face.

Republicans are not trying to defeat al Qaida; they are not trying to defeat the Iraqi "insurgents." They are trying to defeat the Democrats in the next election. That is, in fact, all that Republicans ever aspire to do.

[MetalCanuck]

protests means little, we need action and they failed in the election when they voting for the CFR elite like Obama, Clinton and McCain. They had the chance to Vote Gravel Kucinich and Paul but they took the stupid way instead.

[jnratliff]

MajorKong See Profile I'm a Fan of MajorKong
How would you know? The media's been ignoring the anti war movement since at least 2003.

This is true I was at the march on washington on Sept 24 2005, I can tell you washington was full.
I have seen large sporting and other events with huge crowds of people and there was more people there then i have ever see any place before and the corporate warmonger reichwing media would not put the event on the air and lied about the numbers.
But what else can you expect from republicans?
no honesty no integrity, no honor, just blind ignorant stupidity is the driving factor behind the republican party!

[MIKEBC]

Good job protesters!

[Danny]

I guess the media didn't want to mention what went on in Washington, D.C. They may have had to change the headline to "hundreds of thousands" protest the policies of the U.S. in Iraq and Afghanistan ... And that would have been the truth.

[dezzertguy]

Where was Mother Sheehan? Has the left given up on her too? And where was Saddams Member of Parliment,George Galloway? The low turnout shows that even the world is beginning to understand. As the terrorist kill more and use women and children as their weapons, they lose more support. Even their leaders like Sheehan and Galloway fall away. Maybe there is hope for the future

[VOTER]

"Where was Mother Sheehan?"

FYI - Cindy Sheehan is home with her other children. And she is probably going through another

phase of grieving as the Anniversary of her son, Casey's, death is near, April 4th. Then she will

have his birthday, May 29th, upon her with more deep loss.

Maybe you want to condemn Ron Kovic for his participation in the Anti-War Protest. Ron Kovic

served in Vietnam, was shot and paralyzed almost 40 years ago. Do his objections to

Bush's Illegal War bother you too? Have you ever seen the movie, "Born on the Fourth of July?"

If not, watch if sometime.

Have you ever served in the military? Been to war? Are you ready to enlist to fight in Bush's Illegal War?

Lost a child in a war? Lost a child in Bush's Illegal War? Do you volunteer at a VA hospital and

know any of our wounded soldiers and their families? Are you ready for your children and/or

grandchildren to be drafted into the military to fight in Bush's Illegal War?

Just asking.

[VivaZapata]

good response, voter.

[VivaZapata]

don't confuse apathy and/or poor publicity with approval, dezzert guy. do you always swallow whole what you're fed?

[abbiehoffmansghost]

The hope for the world isn't coming from people like you.

[oneofsixbillion]

Mother Sheehan was protesting with her people in San Francisco. She will definitely be receiving my over Nancy Pelosi next election. She hasnt gone anywhere so watch your back.

[EspritDeVoltaire]

Dead wrong, apparently as usual since this kind of ignorance does not just leap out of nowhere. You exhibit a profound lack of understanding of the situation and absence of compassion both for our troops and the Iraqis.

[forpeace]

*

Winter Soldier: Hundreds of Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan Gather to Testify in Echo of 1971 Vietnam Hearings

Hundreds of veterans and active-duty soldiers of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are gathering today for the Winter Soldier hearings.

The soldiers plan to give eyewitness accounts of the occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Organized by Iraq Veterans Against the War, the gathering is modeled after the 1971 Winter Solider hearings organized by the Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/3/14/hundreds_of_veterans_of_iraq_and

*

[Berettasskeeter]

It should be really interesting, if they have modelled it after the 1971 hearings, as almost all of the "evidence" presented there was repudiated, debunked, or refuted by outside evidence. I presume, then, that IRAW will also be presenting a litany of lies, half-truths, and deceptions, also absent any cross-examination.
Semper fi

[AngerAndDetermination]

Hey, Semper Swiftboat:

"Refuted by outside evidence" ...

You mean the way the Nixon administration (via Colin Powell) "refuted" that there was a massacre at My Lai? Or the way the Republicans have "refuted" that they railroaded my country into a war in Iraq?

How about the way that Fox News has "refuted" that George Bush is a draft-dodger, while John Kerry served honorably in combat?