Posted on 03/15/2003 6:18:39 AM PST by areafiftyone
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Thousands of anti-war protesters are expected to surround the White House on Saturday, in what may be one of their last chances to dissuade the Bush administration from invading Iraq.
Organizers at International ANSWER, a coalition of groups that have banded together to oppose a possible war, said they are expecting tens of thousands of people from more than 100 U.S. cities.
College students from as far as Wisconsin and Florida will rally at the Washington Monument before marching to both the White House and the Justice Department (news - web sites) to surround the buildings in a peaceful "sea of humanity," organizers said.
"Instead of a last-gasp effort before the bombs start to fall, we think there's still a possibility of affecting policy and stopping them altogether," International ANSWER spokesman Chuck Kaufman said.
President Bush (news - web sites) was to spend Saturday away from Washington at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland. Sunday morning, he heads to Portugal's Azores islands for an emergency summit with the leaders of Britain and Spain in a final pursuit of a U.N. resolution on Iraq that would overcome opposition in the Security Council.
The three countries are the sponsors of a U.N. resolution that would set the stage for war on Iraq over its alleged weapons of mass destruction programs, and which is the subject of a bitter fight among council members.
The Washington protest is one of several planned for Saturday in the United States. Organizers said demonstrations are also expected throughout Europe, Asia and Australia.
Washington police said the organizers had received a permit to march and that they expected the demonstration would be as peaceful as previous protests.
The coalition's past protests have drawn tens of thousands to Washington. Kaufman said they are hoping Saturday's march rivals a previous demonstration on Oct. 26, which they estimated brought 200,000 people into the streets.
Religious leaders have also planned a Sunday evening prayer vigil at Washington's Lincoln Memorial that will coincide with thousands of other candlelight vigils across the world.
"My hope is that on Monday morning the (Bush) administration will realize there are two superpowers in the world: the United States and world opinion," said the Rev. Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches.
"They haven't convinced the world there is a smoking gun," he said.
My hope is that once and for all America will stand up and say SCREW THE WORLD OPINION.
LET'S ROLL!
B R A V O ! ! !
Oh please. They never had a chance to do that.
Can someone enlighten me? I keep thinking these are Fidel Castro's buddies, were not these folks helping that poor kid Elian get sent back to Cuba's wonderland?
Gee, that many huh? I wonder who is behind footing the bill to buy the protesters to entice them to show? Even at min wage that isn't chump change give or take 10 or 12 protesters that are doing it out of conviction.
All you have to do is google search "NCC communism" and you will find out all you need to know about this Castro supporting communist organization.
"Well if the media isn't going to be truthful about who these organizations and people who are marching are at least we can!!!"
It is going to be up to us to do this, one by one. You sure as hell won't read about it in the New York Times.
Iraqis burn the likeness of a US flag as they demonstrate in an anti-war rally chanting pro-Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) and anti-US slogans in the Monsour district of Baghdad, Iraq (news - web sites) Saturday March 15, 2003. Hundreds of thousands rallied throughout Baghdad and in provincial cities in support of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
Demonstrators take part in a protest during an anti-war rally in Athens, Greece on Saturday, March 15, 2003. Thousands of people protested against a possible US-led attack against Iraq (news - web sites). (AP Photo/Aris Messinis)
Mmm, I haven't seen it yet however it doesn't surprise me. 278 photos eh? I haven't had the opportunity to see them for I have been monitoring FOX which has put in a considerable amount effort showing what the troops are doing and going through in Kwuait and from what I can deduce are helping lift the spirits of the troops at the same time. :)
AP and Rueters being in with the terrorists? I don't know about that but I haven't been presented with any reason to question the possibility.
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