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Departments National Issues Thousands take to the streets to oppose the inauguration of George W. Bush Thousands took to the streets of Washington, DC to protest the inauguration of George W. Bush. The International Action Center organized contingents from New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Raleigh, and many other cities to participate in the demonstrations, hand out literature, and distribute placards. Thousands of people turned out to line the inaugural parade route, despite attempts by the Bush Administration to prohibit protesters from being present. For months, the Bush Administration had been fighting to stage manage the inauguration and present the facade of a united front in support of the Bush agenda of global war, corporate greed, and repression. The ANSWER Coalition won a significant legal victory and obtained a permit to assemble directly on the parade route. As a result, thousands of protesters were able to gather at a rally near the beginning of the parade route and many more lined up all along the parade route. As Bush rode down Pennsylvania Avenue, he was confronted by protesters holding signs all along the route, many of which said "George Bush: Guilty of War Crimes." Unfortunately, many thousands more were stopped at "security checkpoints," set up by the Bush Administration in an attempt to minimize the impact and visibility of the protests. However, the people engaged in spontaneous protest at the check points, chanting, "George Bush - Terrorist," and holding anti-war placards and banners. In addition, thousands marched through the streets of Washington DC, beginning at Malcolm X Park. This loud and spirited demonstration, consisting largely of youth, was organized by the DC Antiwar Network. Militant youth, including members of FIST (Fight Imperialism-Stand Together), participated in breakaway marches despite police brutality, which included the use of pepper spray, tasers, and clubs. One group of youth eventually challenged the Bush Administration's tactics by directly confronting the police at the massive fences erected to keep protesters off of the parade route under the pretense of security. Many demonstrators at both locations carried signs distributed by the Troops Out Now Coalition that said "Troops Out Now - March 19 - Central Park!" and "End the Occupation Now - Iraq, Palestine, & Everywhere." Bush's Speech--a declaration of war on the world His speech was an unabashedly aggressive pro-war threat on the entire globe. His call to empire, veiled in words like "freedom" and "liberty," delivered in what some described in an "evangelical" or "messianic" tone, asserted his divine right to intervene anywhere, anytime. It did not mention any country by name--it was instead, an open declaration of domination and endless war--a campaign to globalize Abu-Ghraib. The speech was seen around the globe as an ominous beginning for Bush's second term. The British daily The Guardian summed up world-wide concern in an editorial under the headline "Fireworks in Washington, despair around the world." Bush's Inaugural address makes it clear, now more than ever, that we have to continue to organize a unified mass movement to struggle for justice. In his twenty-one minute speech, he did not once mention the millions of people who have lost their jobs under his Administration. He did not mention the tens of millions who are without healthcare. He made no promise to address the crises in education, housing, or AIDS. He did not mention Iraq once, even though 100,000 Iraqi people and nearly 1400 U.S. troops have died because of his colonial war. He did not mention any social programs, except for social security, which he plans to turn over to be looted by his corporate backers. It is clear that the antiwar movement in the US has a unique responsibility to confront and stop this drive for global empire. Unity among all antiwar and progressive forces is now more important than ever. Next Step: March 19 - Central Park, and across the globe The weekend of March 19-20 is the second anniversary of the beginning of the U.S. "shock and awe" attack on Iraq. Antiwar and progressive organizations worldwide have called for protests on this weekend. In the U.S., the Troops Out Now coalition has called for a massive regional march on Central Park on March 19 to demand the immediate, complete, and unconditional withdrawal of all US troops from Iraq. A few months ago, Mayor Bloomberg, the NYPD, and Bush told us that we could not march to and rally in Central Park. We do not accept this decision and are determined to challenge it by assembling tens of thousands of people to retake Central Park --our Park. The antiwar movement cannot afford, and must never again agree to, this infringement on our rights, especially in a city as important as NYC. In addition, there will be local and regional demonstrations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Washington DC, and throughout the country. There will also be a major regional demonstration in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Fayetteville is home to Fort Bragg, which is the home base for the 82nd Airborne Division and many of the Army's elite units. For more information on this rally, see: http://www.mfso.org. How You can get involved: 1) Endorse: http://troopsoutnow.org/endorse.html 2) Organize transportation from your area to NYC on March 19 - call 212-633-6646 for details. 3) Download flyers from the Troops Out Now website to help get the word out. |
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