“The real patriots are
standing up in the shadow of the United Nations today and saying
Give Peace a Chance” Rev. Al Sharpton, speaking at the NYC
Peace Demonstration, February 15, 2003
“Martin Luther King once said that if mankind doesn’t
put an end to war, war will put an end to Mankind.” Harry
Belafonte, speaking at the NYC Peace Demonstration, February 15,
2003
New York Joins the World on the Road Towards
Peace-
Defying Court Order, Hundreds of Thousands March
in NYC, Joining With Millions World-Wide Who Today Said “No
War!”
by Preston Peet
for DrugWar.com
February 15, 2003
Adam and Jeremy want Bush to pursue Peace
If the city officials of New York really were
trying to stop people from marching against war on Iraq by refusing
to issue a permit, and thought having
U.S. District Judge Barbara S. Jones rule against allowing a march
permit to be issued would stop marchers, they failed miserably.
With figures ranging from a 100,000 guesstimate from an NYPD spokesperson,
to attendee estimates of around 750,000, people young and old,
of myriad nationalities, races and creeds, filled the streets
of mid-town Manhattan today with a veritable carnival of civil
disobedience for peace. Ignoring the court-ordered ban on marching,
protestors exercised their Constitutional right to public protest,
marching, telling Bush and the world in firm, loud voices that
not all US citizens are blindly buying into any proposed pre-emptive
strike and a subsequent war against Iraq, and will not be cowed
into silence.
Whose Streets? Your Streets!
Overwhelming barricades, marchers head
from Third towards Second Ave.
Setting out this morning by subway, it quickly
became apparent long before reaching the demonstration that this
was no little street shin-dig but rather a Very Big Deal. Protestors
with signs, pins and fliers decrying the warmongering Bush administration
filled the subway car we were in. The number 6 subway station
was closed at 51st. St, the closest subway stop to where the speakers’
stage was set up, due to “track work at Grand Central Station,”
but more to the point, because of “dangerous crowd situations”
according to the conductor. This necessitated our traveling further
north to 59th St. in hopes of walking back downtown to the rally.
Never have I seen this many people in one subway station before,
which prepared us somewhat to the situation we found when we reached
street level.
"Asses of Evil" tower over the marchers
With the gargantuan crowds nearly beyond any hope
of being controlled, it was easy to see why the city eventually
closed 30 city blocks to all but official vehicular traffic, covering
1st and 2nd Avenues from 34th to 72nd Streets and some of 3rd
Ave as well. Even the 59th Street Bridge was temporarily shut
down. Efforts by the police to keep people from marching over
to 1st Ave. were farcical, and instead of keeping order threatened
to further inflame the passions of freezing and frustrated demonstrators
wanting to join the main body of the demonstration on 1st Ave.
We had to walk North up 3rd Ave for a few blocks before finding
a street where the masses had simply pushed past police barricades.
Once at 2nd Ave the immense size and scope of the protest became
apparent, as marchers, after overflowing 1st. Ave., had completely
overwhelmed the police, filling 2nd Avenue as far as the eye could
see to the south, and for numerous blocks north as well. As marchers
chanted the ubiquitous “Whose Streets? Our Streets,”
one police officer was heard agreeing with the people, quietly
saying “whose streets? Your streets,” in apparent surrender
to the will of the people. The sheer size and diversity of the
crowd lent weight to the “No War” message of the demonstrators,
as there were people from all walks of life gathered in the hundreds
of thousands promoting peace. Demonstrators swarmed everywhere,
chanting, marching, singing, beating drums, blowing whistles,
walking on stilts and carrying puppets, and engaging in a thousand
other creative actions, all urging that there be “No War
on Iraq!”
These girls aren't buying into white, male,
corporate/military aggression.
Big Bird of Peace
What do the People really think?
More afraid of the government ruling the
"Land of the Free?" That's scary.
Veterans Against Iraq War
Indicative of the pervasive atmosphere of fear
and paranoia that for many has become part of daily life in the
United States these days, most of the protestors I spoke with
declined to give their full names, some not even wanting to give
their first. Some though bravely spelled out their names for me,
making sure that I got it right. “This is mighty impressive,”
said John, a High School senior from Hopewell, New Jersey who
came to the march with a group of people from the Princeton Coalition
for Peace. “I’m very glad to see so much support for
the anti-war message.”
Mid-town residents show their support.
US military personnel in NYC are informed what
the plans for war are largely about.
One demonstrator from the Philippines told me he
“just had to get out and do the right thing, for the right
thing, to try and stop this war or at least let the administration
know I do not support their war and their lies.”
Wayland Quintero and Desiree
This is showing the unity of the anti-war movement,”
said Wayland Quintero, who along with his girlfriend Desiree was
out braving the 24 degree temperatures to show their opposition
to the war plans.
Just one of the countless older couples
spotted today.
“This is just fantastic, really, great,”
said Linda and Harvey, a couple in their 70s from Long Island,
New York. Asked if they thought Bush would listen, if the demonstration
would make a difference to him and those beating the drums of
war, Linda said, “probably not, but it makes a difference
to the marchers. They are out here marching for their conscience.”
A hopeful Catherine doesn't want war.
“I hope it makes a difference,” said
Catherine, a grandmotherly woman from Pennsylvania. “I’m
feeling very gratified at the turnout today. This idea is madness,
the whole idea of invading Iraq. Instead of creating peace and
security, it is only going to escalate the problems, creating
more anger and hatred amongst the middle eastern countries and
peoples.”
Adam and Jeremy's Dad Nathan, and little
sister Lucy, all of whom simply want peace.
“I don’t think Bush is intelligent enough
to listen to us,” said Adam, a young boy of about 12 who
was marching for peace with his brother Jeremy and little sister
Lucy, who had an elevated view of the events from on her father
Nathan’s shoulders. “All the Patriot Act-like behavior
and new repressive laws currently being passed have their roots
in the War on Drugs,” said Nathan when I mentioned I was
covering the protest for DrugWar.com. “Once these people
gain a beachhead, they do everything they can to take it all,
as is evidence by their use of tactics first honed waging their
War on Drugs.”
"Drop joints Not Bombs!"- Maryland
NORML contingent looking for Peace in Iraq.
Ray Schooder Jr., who was out supporting peace
and representing the Baltimore, Maryland NORML chapter, was not
at all afraid to give his full name. Wearing Hawaiian lays of
faux pot leaves and handing out anti-drug war fliers along with
their peace literature, Schooder said he and his friends were
getting “lots of attention from people. I’m loving this,
all the people and their support for peace and for our message
about the War on Drugs too. I’m not too optimistic that Bush
will be influenced by this and other actions though,” which
seemed to be the prevalent thought about Bush and his administration
of most people I spoke with.
Medical Marijuana Barby has a great idea.
“People know something is wrong,” said
Leaf, a homeless old black guy full of friendly cheer. “They
just had to come out and say so, which pleases me a lot. For about
a month after September 11, people were nicer and would say hello
on the streets here, but soon went back to their normal unfriendly
style. Today people are being nice again.”
Leaf and friend adding their voices to the
demands for peace.
“This is fabulous,” said Diane Blackburn,
out with her friend Dan McKay. “I’m so proud of NYC
today” she said, noting they‘d both been to the demonstration
in Washington DC too. McKay was “surprised” by the size
of the crowds, but “not really. This is really a lot better
than I’d hoped for.” With their sign carrying the faces
of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Powell, all with Pinocchio noses
stretched far and long, McKay noted that “the best way to
get a message across is often through humor.” Considering
the gravity of the situation and the incredible levels of fear
and stress here in the US that the Bush administration and its
supporters are doing everything in their power to escalate even
higher, humor is indeed something in sorely lacking in the national
psyche lately.
The nose always knows,
and sometimes it even shows.
“Most of the people I’ve talked to came
out here on their own today,” said Rob Joyce, who was wearing
a “Mets Fan for Peace” sign around his neck. “All
of us are out here today because we are concerned. We have to
show what we think about this plan for war.”
What do you mean we're not allowed to march?
An NYPD officer insiting the DrugWar.com
editor get off the street and onto the sidewalk.
Although the overwhelming vibe I experienced was
positive and peaceful, there were inevitably some negative aspects
to the day’s events. There were “over 50 arrests“
according to an NYPD spokesperson and those numbers could rise
throughout the night. WBAI Radio in NYC has been reporting that
police officers rode their horses into the crowd nearer to the
United Nations Building at 53rd Street. There was also a report
to me about clearing actions by the police against bystanders
late in the afternoon, far afield from main body of demonstrators,
in Times Square. The completely haphazard attempts by police at
crowd control by corralling marchers, blocking pathways at various
intersections and ordering people to remain packed together on
the sidewalk as opposed to the traffic-free streets only served
to complicate matters and most likely lead to whatever confrontations
there were.
"They keep marching sir..."
On another less positive note, at two different
points I spotted two different men waving signs protesting the
protest itself. One of these pro-war protestors was obviously
a police officer in civilian clothing, standing amongst some uniformed
cops and whose apparent partner was standing alongside him, the
two of them haranguing the passing marchers while waving a Lenin’s
Useful Idiots sign around over his head. While I fully support
their right to speak out just like those of us who were there
to promote peaceful solutions to the current crises, it is not
heartening to see and hear people calling for war on innocent
civilians and calling the protestors names for not doing and feeling
likewise.
"Lenin's Useful Idiots" said this
guy's sign,
and it was tempting to think he meant the
officers standing guard for him.
This guy didn't like the protestors' message
of peace.
NYPD paddywagon ready for arrested captives
It was an exhilarating feeling marching up the
center of NYC avenues amd streets completely surrounded by people
who all want peace, who desire a more positive plan for our future,
all making the effort to take to the streets in the middle of
a bitterly cold February day despite official orders to do no
such thing. Standing amongst all those people gave me a genuine
rush at times, feeling the energy and camaraderie with so many
thousands of strangers. It was possible to entertain notions that
perhaps this outpouring of citizenry into the streets could make
a difference, that those with control over our military industrial
complex will simply have to listen to these vast numbers, many
if not most of whom could very vote in the next elections.
"Goo-Goo Dolls Fans for Peace"
Keep America Safe is all they ask of Bush-
but will he listen?
But while riding the subway home, as I savored
the feelings of shared purpose and perspective with such an incredibly
huge number of people, I overhead a couple of homeboys discussing
how we, the US, can “beat Iraq, we’ll kick their ass,”
speaking of the alleged ties between Saddam Hussein and Osama
bin Laden's al Quada terrorist network. Despite the vast numbers
of people who consider the Bush administration’s plan to
attack Iraq is wrong whatever the reasonings, there are also untold
numbers of US citizens who are supportive of Bush and his plans
for war, people who are most probably basing their support for
the war on the steady stream of unrelenting jingoistic, let’s-go-to-war
propaganda pumped out day and night by much of our mainstream
press and nearly all our television media. So the work is not
finished for the protestors of war, the seekers of genuine, lasting
peace. The road to real peace is long and difficult, sometimes
even chaotic and dangerous, but the number of people setting their
feet upon that road is growing by the day. Whether our leaders
will take note of the millions who clogged streets all over the
world this weekend in outspoken opposition to the deadly plotting
and planning is unknown but they certainly heard them today despite
the protests’ sparse coverage by the television networks.
Will the warpigs give peace a chance?
George W. Bush bares his vampire fangs,
ready to suck the lifeblood of the world.
Will Bush let the Grinch show him up?
Pontificating for peace.
Another shot of the Useful Idiots
