On answering machine: Be brave, take care of our daughter. I love you.
Posted on 10/27/2001 9:57:13 PM PDT by mdittmar
Three weeks after the United States started to drop bombs on Afghanistan, a wide coalition of groups marched through central New York beating drums and shouting: "You say 'Bomb', we say 'No'. The racist war has got to go."
"Our grief is not a cry for war," read one banner.
You couldn't print what I think about them. I wonder how many people they know who are dead, who are buried over there
On a bitterly cold October afternoon, they only numbered around 1,000, but espoused causes from Palestine to the US Green Party, anarchy to Yugoslavia, black civil rights to socialism.
US security forces around the world are on high alert and there were almost as many police officers as demonstrators.
Before the march even left its Times Square rallying point, a convoy of fire engines drove up and parked right next to the protesters, sounding their sirens in order to drown out the anti-war speakers.
One fireman, with a look of absolute disgust in his eye, told BBC News Online: "You couldn't print what I think about them. I wonder how many people they know who are dead, who are buried over there."
After a few tense minutes, the firefighters left, but only after using a public address system to urge the demonstrators to go home.
Minute's silence
Some of the marchers said that they had indeed lost friends, relatives and colleagues at the World Trade Center.
They started with a minute's silence for those who died on 11 September "and also for those who have died in Palestine and as a result of US foreign policy".
Moshe Rothenberg, a middle-aged member of a group called Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, said that the suicide attacks were just a pretext for the war in Afghanistan.
"We're going to war for oil. Afghanistan is a critical country right next to Iran and Bush wants a friendly government there," he said.
Firemen turned up to protest at the anti-war march
The International Action Center which helped organise the march says that US oil companies want to build a pipeline from the oil-rich Caspian Sea to the Indian Ocean - through Afghanistan - and this is why the Bush administration is trying to topple the Taleban.
Organisers also condemned the "racist" arrest of hundreds of Muslims and Arabs in the US and elsewhere since 11 September and voiced concern that the Anti-Terrorism Act, made into law on Friday would be used to intimidate government critics such as themselves.
Response
So how should the US Government respond to the suicide attacks on New York and Washington?
"I was hoping something would be worked out through the United Nations, then he [President Bush] went on his little crusade," said David Huggins, carrying a banner declaring that he had sacked Mr Bush. "That's what made people hate us, want to kill us in the first place."
As they marched through central New York to an anti-war "teach-in", some shop owners locked their doors in case the protest became violent, but it passed off without incident.
Counter-protests
Most other New Yorkers ignored them, while a few shouted either insults or the occasional word of encouragement.
A few people even turned up to mount individual "counter-protests".
John Cutter walked up and down next to the demonstrators waving a small US flag.
"These people are fools, dreamers and anti-Americans," he said.
Looking at one of the banners, postal worker Vincent Minicagello told BBC News Online: "I believe in justice, not war, but we can't allow people to kill Americans and get away with it."
Street sweeper Desmond Antubam from Ghana could not believe his eyes as he watched the marchers troop down 8th Avenue with their police escort.
He said that he knew friends and colleagues who had died on 11 September and called the marchers "a disgrace".
"There's too much freedom here," he said.
So, if the bombing was being done against white Christians they wouldn't have a problem with it.
On answering machine: Be brave, take care of our daughter. I love you.
He summed up my thoughts perfectly!
Which the BBC doesn't mention is a front for the International Socialist Organization.
You say "Bomb!", we say "Nuke!".
The scumbag peaceniks make me puke
This right here says it all folks! Been saying it for years.
Miriam Horrocks holds her son Michael during a military service in Media, Pa. for her husband Michael R. Horrocks, a star small-college quarterback at West Chester University and a U.S. Marine, while a Marine folds an American flag in the foreground. Military officials presented a 21-gun salute and a solo trumpeter played "Taps" at the ceremony for Horrocks, the first officer on a hijacked flight that crashed into the World Trade Center last week. Photographed September 17, 2001 by DELANE B. ROUSE/AP
I hope that war is officially declared, so these traitors can be rounded up.
Their punishment should be to clear ground zero with their bare hands.
Husker, I will be kind, since you are somewhat new here.
90% of Freepers were dead set against that misbegotten Clintonoid bombing war.
Honestly, you need to check before you slander us like that.
Woo hoo to the firemen! But I have to ask (since I confess a total ignorance of NYC geography).... Is Times Square anywhere near this anti-war-rallying effort?
New York City — WRL’s weekly vigil for peace, Saturday afternoons, Union Square (14th St. and Broadway); call 212-228-0450 for more information.
No, Union Square is about 25-30 blocks further downtown.
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