FreeRepublic , LLC
PO BOX 9771
FRESNO, CA 93794
It is in the breaking news sidebar!
Posted on 04/13/2003 7:02:04 AM PDT by GailA
Supporters rally, protesters adjust
By Associated Press April 13, 2003
WASHINGTON - Even as the war with Iraq winds down, protesters in the United States and abroad renewed their campaign against the conflict Saturday. In Washington, 10 blocks from an antiwar demonstration, supporters of the war effort drew thousands to their own rally.
Protesters turned out in much smaller numbers than in the months leading up to the conflict, and their focus switched from keeping American troops out of Iraq to bringing them home.
In Washington, where tens of thousands marched during protests in January and March, a few thousand people rallied a few blocks from the White House for speeches and a march calling on U.S. troops to leave Iraq.
"We're not the police officers of the world," said Alissa Johnson, 24, a student from Boston. "It's not up to us to go in and involve ourselves in everything, especially through force."
Near the antiwar protest site, a similar number, intermittently chanting "U-S-A U-S-A," held their own rally against the backdrop of the Capitol dome. As demonstrators waved American flags, people said nothing about U.S. troops' leaving any time soon.
"They should stay as long as required to help out the Iraqi people," said Rimma Dean, 42, an insurance analyst from Olney, Md. "The Iraqi people need our support."
Among speakers were former Republican Sen. Fred Thompson, now a television actor; actor Ron Silver and former Reagan administration official Linda Chavez. Organizers read the names of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq.
The turnout of protesters also was modest in Los Angeles, San Francisco and other U.S. cities.
Other countries had antiwar demonstrations Saturday. They, too, were not on the scale of past protests, such as the February march in London that drew up to 2 million people.
Demonstrators in Washington marched near the White House and past offices of companies that organizers said are profiting from the war and media organizations they said ignored the plight of Iraqi civilians. At one point along the route, nightstick-wielding police clashed with some demonstrators.
For activists, the Iraq war has overshadowed the spring meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Even so, security was tight for the meetings, with police closing streets around the financial institutions.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.