Opinion Editorials, October 2003, www.aljazeerah.info
Human Price of the Israeli Occupation of Palestine
Israeli daily aggression on the Palestinian people
Mission and meaning of Al-Jazeerah
Cities, localities, and tourist attractions
Thousands of Americans in Washington to Protest Iraq Policy
Sat October 25, 2003 01:55 PM ET
By Niala Boodhoo WASHINGTON (Reuters) -
Thousands rallied in Washington on Saturday to protest U.S. policy in Iraq, the first major demonstration since President Bush declared an end to major combat in the war on Iraq.
"We need to make President Bush realize that our children are being killed," Fernando de Solar Suarez said at a rally near the Washington Monument, where the crowd later planned to march to the White House.
Suarez's son, a Marine, was killed in Iraq on March 27.
Guerrillas fighting the U.S.-led occupation have killed 108 U.S. soldiers since May 1, when Bush declared major combat in Iraq over.
Peace activists, many carrying placards, said increasing concerns about casualties in Iraq have spurred the U.S. anti-war movement back into action after months of relative quiet. "Iraq=Vietnam," one placard read. "Money for Jobs, not for War," said another.
Organizers at International ANSWER, the group that coordinated the event, said at least 200 buses from more than 145 cities would attend the demonstration. Similar events were also planned for San Francisco.
As people holding pink balloons that read "Weapons of Mass Destruction: A lot of hot air!" walked by, a Washington engineer holding hands with his two children said he wanted Bush out of the White House.
"We have a president who lied to us about weapons of mass destruction, he lied about Iraq being a threat," said the man, who would only give his first name, Omar.
"It's important that people realize things are still going on there," said Boston artist Kim Beury. "We went in there and really messed things up."
BUSH APPROVAL RATING DECLINES
Polls indicate Bush's approval rating has steadily declined since May, when it was around 80 percent. According to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll released this month, 56 percent of Americans surveyed approved of the way Bush was doing his job.
Nancy Lessin, who heads the group "Military Families Speak Out," said dozens of military families from as far away as Indiana, Texas and Maine had come to Washington for the demonstration.
"It's wonderful for us to be together and express the message to end the occupation and bring our troops home," she told Reuters.
About a hundred people also held a simultaneous counterdemonstration on the other side of the National Mall, near the U.S. Capitol building.
Those organizers, the D.C. chapter of "Free Republic," a self-described conservative, independent group, said they would march to support U.S. troops at the same time as the other demonstration.
 |
| Earth, a planet hungry for peace |
 |
| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03). |
 |
| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03). |
 |