Los Angeles Stages Protests Marking Seven Years of American War

Hollywood and Vine Hosts Antiwar Protests on The Seventh Anniversary of The American Iraqi Invasion.



Hollywood Boulevard was the scene of an anti war protest marking the seventh year of the war in Iraq. It was well attended with thousands of people in the street.
Groups such as Iraq Veterans Against the War, Anarcha LA, AnswerLA, Code Pink, KPFK, Goldstar Families, Military Families Speak Out, the Los Angeles Bus Riders Union and others were there making their case for the quick cessation of America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Activists ranged from those who have been protesting American military involvements since the Vietnamese war to high school kids who felt the need to cry out about the inequities, the brutalities and the general failures of both American military excursions. There were Iraq and Afghanistan war vets as well as old soldiers who were there to back them up in their damning of the wars started by the Bush administration and being partially continued in Barack Obama's presidency.

The protest was far less attended than the largest Hollywood action that occurred at the beginning of the Iraq war seven years ago where an estimated 250,000 people protested in L.A.

Speeches given at the end of the march focused on the immorality, imperialistic motivations, illegality, the cost to each American taxpayer and the profiteering aspects of these adventures. Speakers such as Ron Kovic, Margaret Prescod and Ryan Endicott gave fiery and impassioned testimonials.

The protest seemed to lack some focus however in that many different causes ( school funding, Haiti, 911 truth ) were making their cases and perhaps diluting a purely antiwar platform. The action was heavily populated by 911 truth activists and of course the new and ever present La Rouche contingency bearing imagery that marries our 44th president with Adolph Hitlers whiskers.

The march was peaceful with seemingly little interference from the LAPD.