Albuquerque - New Mexico.
The town of Albuquerque is not renowned for large protests in any respect, but that did not stop over 1000 people from gathering on the outskirts of the university campus and processing up the main street to a busy shopping district on Friday afternoon. According to some older activists who had been around in the ‘60s, this was the largest crowd that had ever gathered here.
People came from all parts of the city to join in a Procession for Peace. By providing a safe public space for the community to come together, the people of Albuquerque made it clear that they disagree with the push to war, and that being a peace protester does not – as Bush would like us to think - make one a terrorist. What was most heartening about this procession was the diverse array of people who showed up in the face of a massive jingoistic propaganda attack in the media. Remember this is the heart of nuclear weapons research where military bases are in abundance and planes fly daily runs over our heads. In other words this is not sympathetic territory for the type of activism that looks to alternative solutions. But still with a little bit of radio talk, a lot of flyering, some emails, and a push into new communities, schools, and outlying areas organizers broadened their reach and managed to bring people out from hiding in a very short period of time. With that in mind activists elsewhere may want to consider looking to Albuquerque as a model for what is possible – if we can do it YOU CAN TO! Let’s face it the majority of Americans do not agree with war – so let’s make them part of the struggle for a better world!