2/18/2003
Pro-War Rally and Anti-War Counter Demonstration CLASH AT CSULB

David Horowitz and the CSULB Young Republicans today held a "Pro-American Rally in support of Bush". David Horowitz is on a national tour to attack what he calls the "left wing academia" and expose all anti-war protesters as "stalinist fascists". What the Horowitz and the Young Republicans meant to call there rally was a "Pro Genocide in Iraq Rally". David Horowitz called antiwar protesters fascists and declared that treason trials should be held for antiwar protesters. Young Republicans (99% wealthy caucasian) and there yuppie soccer mom supporters from Orange county numbered aprox 75-100 and chanted "U.S.A. U.S.A. U.S.A.". Aprox half a dozen police stood behind them.

Meanwhile aprox 150-200 antiwar protesters chanted "No Blood For Oil, No Blood For Oil...". The antiwar protesters were made of Muslim students from the MSA, African American activists/students, Hispanic students from groups such as La Raza, and students/activists from the Campus Progressives. Reporters from various newspapers attended, including the campus newspaper the 49er and the local Corporate paper the Press Telegram (currently attempts are being made to privatize the student's newspapers).

The reporter on the scene from the Press Telegram was quoted as saying "war does not hurt poor people. What you antiwar protesters are saying are lies".
We, antiwar students of Long Beach, hope everyone reading Indymedia now sees the importance of community media as opposed to the total ignorance of the corporate media. The Tombstone of the LB Press Telegram would read "Authentic journalism is dead". Today at California State University of Long Beach the students stood up against the crazed war drive of rich americans hoping to fill there pockets at the prospect of another war.

solidarity.

FYI from Chicago, since you bring up the race issue. I went to the big protest here on Saturday, and just about all of the protesters were white men and women, many saying "No blood for oil" themselves. I've yet to see a Young Republicans rally here in the windy city. Who knows, it might be full of people of color!

Yes, the Young Republicans may be made up of mostly wealthy white college students. However, the anti-war movement consisted of a largely white, affluent crowd as well. My point is, that this issue need not be turned into a domestic race issue. Rather, war concerns all of humanity.

American principles rest on the notion of freedom: freedom of religion, freedom of press, and the freedom of SPEECH. What the Young Republicans are terribly mistaken about, is the notion that anti-war protest is un-American. I argue, on the contrary, that anti-war protest is the most American thing one can do. In a dictatorship, only one voice is heard. In a democracy, EVERYONE'S voice is heard. People who oppose the war and demand truth from their government have the right to protest against their government. That does not mean they don't believe in the American principles of democracy....it means they are putting these principles into PRACTICE!!!

So, if the Young Republicans want to hold a pro-War protest, that's just fine (as if we don't already get plenty of that from the mainstream media). That would be excercising their freedom of speech that we all hold as Americans. But don't call the other side anti-American. They, in fact, are the TRUE Americans!!

Letter to the editor


Horowitz heads pro war rally at CSULB

When you hear the name David Horowitz you might think of the popular Fight Back with David Horowitz television series. Do not be confused, this is not the same person. Horowitz was the grandson of Russian Jewish immigrants and was raised in a Communist/socialist neighborhood in New York City.
 
He was active in the social and political movement of the ‘60s but became discontent about his financial status. To boost his popularity and begin his shift in politics, Horowitz joined the Black Panther Party, only to shortly afterward publish a book, “Destructive Generation: Second Thoughts About the Sixties.”
 
The ex-communist and former Black Panther groupie later went on to become founder and president of Center for the Study of Popular Culture, a conservative think tank funded by right wing endowment foundations. Horowitz has become strong opponent of affirmative action and believes that racism no longer exists in American and blacks are just deluding themselves.
 
Horowitz is attempting to wage national campaigns against American universities curriculum and any anti-war movement. He believes that university professors are corrupting the minds of students by not being as radically conservative as his own political views. He believes that professors that express views outside of the Republican Party line should be put on a list for surveillance, along with one who opposes any of America’s wars. He perpetuates the religious degradation of Islam by stating, that “We are at war with Radical Islam,” in a July Townhall.com article. That is why the CSULB Young Republicans paid to bring this man on campus, to help him in his crusade against free thinking and spread the same type of social falsehoods of war.
 
So here we are, in the middle of Black History Month, and we have the Republican Party bring a right-wing advocate to our campus to show the same attitude that led to the Trent Lott debacle. Being on the verge of another imperialist war, the Young Republicans bring in a speaker that believes that war is the answer and that Blacks need to remain silent.
 
America is never going to be truly united until it recognizes its wrong doings to its own peoples and people of the world. David Horowitz is another war mongering, greed thirsty ideologue.
 
However, we must defend this idiot’s right to free speech to protect our own. Let him speak; besides the more he speaks, the more he discredits himself.

— Uduak-Joe Ntuk, campus progressives

My comment is in response to the previous two comments to Jeb's editorial. It goes without question that the Republican party is made up almost exclusively of wealthy white people. No one can disagree with that. The past two comments stated that the anti-war demonstrations consisted of mostly whites as well. Wrong. The anti-war demonstrations on campus and around the country were made up of a diverse group of people. The demonstrations in Los Angeles and Long Beach represented the true demographics in their respective regions with a mix of whites and all people of color. On Tuesday, February 18th, the Young Republican Club held a pro-war rally in front of one of the most diverse college campuses only to show their true colors, or in this case, lack thereof. The anti-war demonstrators that countered this rally consisted of ALL races, just like the one last Saturday. For the commenters, it is wrong to say that the anti-war demonstrations consisted of mostly whites as well when the racial makeup was diverse in the U.S. There were anti-war demonstrations all over the world in Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America, essentially proving that they weren't just "white."

Solidarity.

I agree with Shawn. I am a campus progressive at CSULB and I went to the LB protest and I think the fact that we are a better representation of the actual community population is a good sign, and a reminder of how the Republian party still has racist roots that are emerging still. Not to say that all anti-war protesters are not racist and all republicans are, just that I think it's important to note that the peace movement is more representative of the true population, and its wishes...