March 15 Los Angeles Protest Draws 10\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>
March 15: 10,000 Protest\r\nIraq War in Los Angeles The March 15 march and rally in Los Angeles on\r\nthe 5th anniversary of the Iraq war showed that mass opposition to the criminal\r\nwar is still organized and strong. At least 10,000 people took to the streets\r\nin a regional protest in LA to demand an immediate end to the war.<\/b> That same\r\nday, tens of thousands more marched in hundreds of cities across the United\r\nStates. Donate today! We can’t do\r\nit without your help. A.N.S.W.E.R.\r\nCoalition
\r\nPeople Hit the Streets to Stop the War
\r\nOn the 5th Anniversary of the Illegal Invasion of\r\nIraq<\/strong><\/p>\r\n
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\r\nThe action was initiated by the ANSWER<\/span> Coalition\r\nand built by a broad coalition of progressive organizations in LA. Hundreds of\r\nadditional organizations and individuals endorsed and supported the protest.
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\r\nDemonstrators began gathering at Hollywood and Vine at 11 a.m. By 12 noon,\r\nthousands of people were cheering for speakers and musicians at the opening\r\nrally. Speakers from various organizations and music by Mojow and the Vibration\r\nArmy, Wil-B and Avis Harrell filled the area. As the marched stepped off,\r\nthousands of people filled in behind the lead banners, chanting and waving signs\r\nin the air. Former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, Vietnam vet Ron Kovic,\r\nactor Mike Farrel and others helped lead the protest.
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\r\n<\/span>The march filled the six-lane street from\r\nsidewalk to sidewalk on Hollywood Blvd. from Vine to Schrader--many blocks away.<\/b>\r\nDuring the march, people at the front of the march could see the marchers still\r\njoining the action 7 blocks behind them. The demonstration was\r\noverwhelmingly youthful, with students pouring into the march from hundreds of\r\nSouthern California schools. A large, militant contingent of over 200 young\r\npeople wore red shirts and marched together. Other students lined the front\r\nbanners, chanting \"Iraq for Iraqis, troops out now!\" and \"Alto a\r\nla guerra, stop the war!\"
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\r\nOnce the marchers arrived at the main rally point\r\nat Sunset and Cahuenga, at least 10,000 people stood at the CNN building.\r\nProtesters chanted \"CNN, can't you see? Put the peace march on TV!\"\r\nDespite strong, cold winds and scattered rain, many thousands stayed at the\r\nrally site for hours.
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\r\nThe main rally was chaired by Jim Lafferty,\r\nNational Lawyers Guild and Interim General Manager of KPFK; Jennifer Caldwell,\r\nANSWER Coalition; Carlos Alvarez, coordinator of Youth & Student ANSWER; and\r\nChristine Araquel, Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines. The\r\ncrowd heard known speakers and community organizers; musicians played anti-war\r\nsongs. Singer Tom English delivered a moving ballad for peace after Theresa\r\nBonpane, Office of the Americas, led a moment of silence for the 1 million Iraqi\r\ndead and 4,000 U.S. soldiers killed in the war. Los Duggans and award-winning\r\nfilmmaker also performed portions of the multimedia anti-war performance piece\r\n\"Proving Ground.\"
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\r\nIt was a very large turnout; the biggest anti-war action in Southern California\r\nsince fall 2007, far exceeding organizers' expectations.
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\r\nThe<\/b>\r\nAnti-War Movement is the Real Story<\/b>
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\r\nThe protest was covered by\r\nmajor English- and Spanish-language media outlets in Los Angeles, California and\r\nworldwide, including NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox News, AFP, UPI, LA Daily News, Telemundo,\r\nUnavision, Azteca, La Opinon and other TV, print and radio media.
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\r\nAlthough the LA march was a top news story\r\nacross the globe, <\/b>the\r\nLos Angeles Times' coverage of March 15 was shameful. It covered a tiny pro-war\r\nrally in Washington, D.C. while only dedicating a small picture caption to a\r\nprotest of 10,000 people in the city they supposedly represent. We\r\nencourage people angered by its terrible coverage to complain to the Times: call\r\n213-237-5000 and write a letter to the editor, <\/b>letters@latimes.com.\r\n<\/b>
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\r\nIn addition, the LAPD\r\ngrossly undercounted the march, despite their stated policy not to give numbers\r\nto the press. This, along with the LA Times coverage, is a deliberate attempt to\r\ndemoralize the anti-war movement--to make people who just participated in a\r\ngreat and significant event feel like their voice was not counted. But these are\r\njust the institutional and media mouthpieces of the pro-war establishment in\r\nWashington. They want to silence the anti-war movement, a movement that can't\r\nand won't be silenced.
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\r\nIn spite of these attempts to play down\r\nthe importance of March 15 in LA, news of the protest reached to all areas of\r\nthe United States and all continents in the world. The vast majority of people\r\nin the U.S. are against the war and they heard our message loud and clear. All\r\nof us who marched in LA on March 15 were part of a global day of action to stop\r\nthe war. The anti-war movement is the REAL story!<\/b>
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\r\nCongratulations and thanks to all who worked so hard to make March 15 a success,\r\nespecially the hundreds of dedicated volunteers. Buses, carpools and \"peace\r\ntrains\" came to the demonstration from across the Southland. Thousands of\r\npeople came from schools, places of worship and local community centers. The\r\ndemonstration marked an important step for the anti-war movement in LA and\r\nacross the country.
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\r\nAs Bush defends the war and Congress remains inactive, the people of the United\r\nStates are speaking loudly for an immediate end to the racist war on Iraq. We\r\nare organized and we are fighting back. A\r\nstrong, united people’s movement can and will change history. That’s what\r\nhas always changed history. <\/span>Let's continue to mobilize\r\nand to struggle against the war in Iraq and the war on people at home.
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\r\nGet involved with the ANSWER Coalition.<\/span>\r\nStop the war! Bring the troops home now!
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\r\nNews coverage:<\/b> AFP<\/b> \r\nUPI \r\nThe\r\nTimes Xinhua<\/b>
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\r\n<\/b>LA rally speakers and rally\r\nfacilitators included:
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\r\n<\/b>Cynthia McKinney<\/b>, former U.S.\r\nCongresswoman, candidate for U.S. president
\r\nRon Kovic<\/b>, Vietnam vet, author \"Born on the Forth of July\"
\r\nMahmud Ahmad<\/b>, National Council of Arab\r\nAmericans
\r\nGreg Akili<\/b>, African Americans Against the War
\r\nGloria La Riva<\/b>, Party for Socialism and Liberation, candidate for U.S.\r\npresident
\r\nMargaret Prescod<\/b>, Global Women's Strike
\r\nJim Lafferty<\/b>, National Lawyers Guild, Interim General Manager of KPFK
\r\nFaith Santilla<\/b>, GABRIELA Network
\r\nMike Farrell<\/b>, actor (\"Mash\")
\r\nLinda Sharp<\/b>, Doctors 4 Peace
\r\nMalalai Joya<\/b>, former member of Afghanistan's parliament
\r\nSonali Kolhatkar<\/b>, KPFK radio host
\r\nBlase & Theresa Bonpane<\/b>, Office of the Americas
\r\nShakeel Syed<\/b>, Islamic Shura Council of Southern California
\r\nSharaf Mowjood<\/b>, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Southern California
\r\n<\/b>Christine Araquel<\/b>, Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the\r\nPhilippines
\r\nJohn Acevedo<\/b>, ANSWER Coalition, U.S. Army veteran
\r\nMarylou Cabral<\/b>, Youth & Student ANSWER, Cal State Long Beach student
\r\nCarlos Alvarez<\/b>, Youth & Student ANSWER
\r\nDon White<\/b>, Coalition for World Peace
\r\nJennifer Caldwell<\/b>, ANSWER Coalition
\r\nKyle Petlock<\/b>, Iraq Veterans Against\r\nthe War
\r\nTravis Wilkerson<\/b>, award-winning filmmaker (\"An Injury to One\")
\r\nAnitra Wertzel<\/b>, American Friends Service Committee
\r\nPLUS: Students from 20 different middle schools, high schools and colleges<\/b>
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\r\nMusic by<\/b> Los Duggans, Tom English, Mojow and the Vibration Army, Avis\r\nHarrell and Wil-B
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\r\nANSWER\r\nCoalition initiated the March 15 Los Angeles protest. Stop the War Coalition\r\nmembers and endorsers: <\/b>Paul Haggis, Academy award-winning director\r\n(\"Crash,\" \"In the Valley of Elah\"); Cynthia McKinney, former\r\nCongresswoman and U.S. presidential candidate; Gore Vidal, award-winning author,\r\nplaywright and activist; Mark Ruffalo, award-winning actor (\"Zodiac\");\r\nJackson Browne, legendary musician and songwriter; Ron Kovic, Vietnam veteran,\r\nauthor Born on the 4th of July; Office of the Americas, National Council of Arab\r\nAmericans, United Teachers Los Angeles, ANSWER Coalition, Coalition for World\r\nPeace, Addicted to War, Al-Awda Palestinian Right to Return Coalition, MEChA\r\nCentral Los Angeles, Latino Movement USA, Los Angeles County Federation of\r\nLabor, Doctors 4 Peace, Bus Riders Union, CODO Verde\/OC Greens, Hermandad\r\nMexicana Nacional, Just Peace, American Friends Service Committee, Alliance for\r\nJust and Lasting Peace in the Philippines, Americans for a Department of Peace,\r\nANSWER Ventura County, World Can't Wait, Islamic Shura Council of Southern\r\nCalifornia, Korean Americans for Peace, Council on American Islamic Relations,\r\nAsians for Jericho and Mumia, Kill Radio, Be Love Project for Nonviolent\r\nResistance, Campaign to End Israeli Apartheid, Chicano Forums, Claremont Peace\r\nGroup, Clothing of the American Mind, Coalition Against Unnecessary Wars,\r\nCommittee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador-LA, School of the\r\nAmericas Watch-LA, Committee in Solidarity with the People of Iran, Conspiracy\r\nof Thought, Echo Park<\/span> Community Coalition,\r\nComite Pro-Democracia en Mexico, Ecumenical Fellowship for Justice and Peace,\r\nFirst Unitarian Church of Los Angeles, San Pedro Neighbors for Peace and\r\nJustice, KmB Pro-People Youth, Free Iraq Now, Free Palestine Alliance, GABRIELA\r\nNetwork, Global Women’s Strike, International Socialist Organization,\r\nKoreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance, Laguna Beach Peace Vigil, Women in Black,\r\nBus Riders Union, Los Angeles Anarchist Black Cross Federation, Katrina\r\nSurvivors Network, Muslim Students Association-West, National Lawyers Guild,\r\nL.A., Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress, Palisadians for Peace, Muslim\r\nAmerican Society, Palestinian American Women’s Association, Patrick Henry\r\nDemocratic Club of America, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Peace and\r\nFreedom Party, Peace and Justice Center of Pomona Valley, Peace Bakersfield,\r\nRadical Teen Cheer, Riverside Area Peace and Justice Action, Southern California\r\nLeadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles, Topanga Peace Alliance, Pomona\r\nCollege Student of Color Alliance, Youth & Student ANSWER and hundreds of\r\nothers.<\/span>
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\r\nFor more info call 213-251-1025<\/b> or email answerla@answerla.org.
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\r\nPhotos by Kelly Wine. Check answerla.org<\/b>\r\nfor more photos in the coming days.<\/i><\/p>\r\n
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\r\n<\/strong>The last three months have been an\r\nintense period for anti-war organizing. Hundreds of volunteers give their time\r\neveryday, but we can’t do it without the help of our donors. Help\r\nthe movement keep growing by making an urgently needed donation today by\r\nclicking on this link.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n
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\r\nAct Now to Stop War and End Racism
\r\n<\/b><\/span>213-251-1025
\r\nhttp:\/\/www.answerla.org
\r\n<\/span>answerla@answerla.org<\/span><\/u>
\r\n137 N. Virgil Ave., #201
\r\nLos Angeles, CA 90004
\r\nJoin us every Tuesday for the ANSWER<\/span> activists meetings!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\n<\/body><\/html>\n","contact":"answerla@answerla.org","link":"http:\/\/www.answerla.org","address":"137 N. Virgil Ave., #201, Los Angeles","phone":"213-251-1025","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/html","summary":"People in Los Angeles Join Global Day of Action to Stop the War","numcomment":6,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2008\/03\/215291.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":215293,"heading":"2K not 10K","article":"I was there. There were at the most 2,000 people, not 10,000 people.","author":"Inflated numbers as usual","parent_id":215291,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2008-03-18 20:41:47","modified":"2008-03-18 20:41:47","fileurl":""},{"id":215300,"heading":"Sadly Fox News got it right...almost","article":"Fox News said that they were 1,500 people on the streets, sadly they are much closer then ANSWER.","author":"NO","parent_id":215291,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2008-03-19 00:05:03","modified":"2008-03-19 00:05:03","fileurl":""},{"id":215303,"heading":"Fox news","article":"Where on earth would you get the idea that any coverage of Fox news to an anti-war march would be accurate?\r\nDo me a favour. Play your Buggery-do, Blu.","author":"The Nazi Channel","parent_id":215291,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2008-03-19 01:20:17","modified":"2008-03-19 01:20:17","fileurl":""},{"id":215304,"heading":"Question ANSWER","article":"Why does Answer feel they need to lie about the number of people that come to their events? What\u2019s wrong with 2,000 people? It\u2019s nothing to be ashamed of. \r\n\r\nIf they lie about something as minor as the number of people at the demonstrations it makes one wonder what else they are lying about.","author":"Answer lies","parent_id":215291,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2008-03-19 01:35:51","modified":"2013-11-11 00:53:10","fileurl":""}]}