about 35-40,000 of anti-war demonstrators marched in
WASHINGTON Oct. 25 
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We Don't Want Your Stupid War - October 25
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by dc imc (No verified email
address)
25 Oct 2003 Modified: 26 Oct 2003


On a gorgeous fall day, about 35-40,000 people rallied and marched for the
Iraq war protest called by 2 big coalitions, UFPJ & ANSWER. The mood
was celebratory and happy, especially since it's been a long time between
giant protests, even while daily news reports tell of GI deaths and Iraqui
deaths from the US Occupation.Please add your own eyewitness
reports, photos, video.Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 Black Bloc HAMMERS City Living DC, then joins antiwar march
| Re: We Don't Want Your Stupid War - October 25

The day started with a celebration peace rally at
Malcolm X park at 9am, called by the Black Voices for Peace. One of the
attendees said, as always, the most moving speakers against the war are
the ministers from Plymouth Congregational Church, Rev Hagler and Damu
Smith, before a crowd of 300 gathering to go to together to the Washington
Monument.A local feeder march of 200 converged on the new
Washington Convention Center, in an unpermitted march, that was called by
a participant, "the most exhilerating part of the day." This contingent
included the Shirts Off Coalition, Positive Force, and the unamed
Anti-Capitalist contingent. This march cheered alot and made alot of
noise, especially coming down 14th street and the underpass, getting cars
honking and bystanders cheering. A participant said, "This contingent was
made up mostly of caucasians but because the chants and slogans were
speaking to what DC residents were thinking - that all the money is going
to pay for the Iraq Occupation, or for new convention centers, or
gentrification, then none is going to pay for schools and hospitals for
poor people are being shut down in DC, there was alot of love expressed
from the mostly African-American bystanders."At the rally at the
Washington Monument, the most moving "speech" was given by a DC Poet
Against the War. Others focused on a large menu of single issue topics,
from Cuba, to the Phillipines, etc, but added the scope of US Empire
building. Many people carried signs about the Middle East,
Palestine, Iran, Iraq, and the need to fight the USA Patriot Act, signed
on October 26, 2002. There were also many many anti-Bush commentary signs.
White House Lies and War Profiteering were also popular topics for
signs.
BEST OF:Best Signs"War Makes Happy Puppies Cry" -
West Frederick Middle School, Frederick, Maryland (thank you Metro
lines...)"Condoleeza Rice Is Not My Sister" - Resident of the Colony
of Washington, DC"These Colors Don't Run, (American flag image), the
World" - copied from an Utne mag ad"Give Peace a Chance, Make Bush
Pee In His Pants" - BRMS Middle School, Rhode Island"From Stonewall
to Baghdad, People Fight Back" - Queers for Peace and Justice"Free
Palestine" - seen everywhere along the march"Humans Without Borders"
- Meridan, New HampshireBest Costumes Apocalypse Crusaders -
elaborately dressed as Christian crusaders with helmets, amount Monty
Python style horses - Mouths Wide Open group from 5 burroughs of
NYCBest Right-Wingers"Support President Bush, Trust Jesus"
(Images of Cobra Helicopter Gunship, M-16 Rifle, Rocket Launcher, F-15
plane)"God Hates You - Sodomites, Abortionists, Just the Way You
Are"Best Right-Wing Arguement(to African-American couple)
"You're the son of Ham, I'm the son of Yaffa
(sp?)"During the long march in a big circle that
went past the White House and the Justice Dept, the anti-capitalists made
up of various black, black and red, red members, did a couple breakaway
marches. There was a crowd around one burning flag, and then another got
burned, and then another.The DC Metro motorcycle cops decided at one point to run their
motorcycles into a crowd and shove people, once again, as they have done
at many many protests, and this caused the Park Police to mobilize horse
lines and do "crowd control" once the DC Metro cops left. The Park Police
pulled out their pepper spray canisters at this point. One person reported
that pepper spray was used at one incident, but noone was
arrested.Electoral politics was present, mostly a number of people
handing out Kucinich fliers.Addendum from tonight - Some DC
activists have been exchanging notes about today's activities, and made
these remarks: "These type of protests might make people wash their hands
of the issues." "Do these types of protests inspire anything, and is this
related to the way the protest was organized?" "What comes after this?"