Vol. 71/No. 11      March 19, 2007

One of the events is a "March on the Pentagon" sponsored by the ANSWER coalition. It will take place Saturday, March 17, in Washington, D.C. Similar actions are scheduled the same day in Los Angeles, and Reno, Nevada; and the following day in San Francisco and Seattle. Sponsoring groups are organizing buses, vans, and car caravans to these actions from dozens of U.S. cities, according to the coalition's website.

On Sunday, March 18, the United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ) coalition is holding a march in New York City to "Tell Congress: End the War on Iraq! No Military Attacks on Iran!" UFPJ is also sponsoring local peace actions March 19-20 in towns and cities across the country.

"We are building the march on the Pentagon, the action in New York, and those in other cities, and invite students, young workers, and others to join the Young Socialists and Socialist Workers Party contingents to demand: U.S. and all other 'coalition' troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan now! Imperialist hands off Iran," Ben O'Shaughnessy, organizer of the YS national steering committee, told the Militant today. "We will demand: Not one penny, not one man or woman, for Washington's wars!"

ANSWER, the acronym of the Act Now to Stop War and End Racism coalition, includes IFCO/Pastors for Peace, Free Palestine Alliance, Muslim Student Association, Nicaragua Network, and the Party for Socialism and Liberation. The latter was formed two years ago from a split in the Workers World Party.

UFPJ includes the Communist Party USA; Committees of Correspondence, a split from the CPUSA; and a host of liberal and pacifist groups such as American Friends Services Committee, Global Exchange, Green Party, National Organization for Women, PAX Christi USA, RainbowPUSH Coalition, and Veterans for Peace.

Reflecting the polarization in the United States on the war in Iraq, the March 5 issue of the New York Post, one of the main dailies here, published a column by Michelle Malkin calling for building a pro-war mobilization to counter the march on the Pentagon. This counterdemonstration is called by right-wing groups that support Washington's wars in Iraq and beyond.

"How many times have you sat in front of the TV over the last four years, watching anti-war activists march on Washington, chase the ROTC off your local college campus, vandalize war memorials, insult the troops and wreak havoc under the surrender banner?" said the column. "Here is the answer: Get off the sofa and join the Gathering of Eagles on March 17 in Washington."

Noting that tens of thousands marched January 27 there to protest the U.S.-led war in Iraq, Malkin said only 40 people turned out to "counter the Far Left." Violence-baiting the peace protesters, she said the "Gathering of Eagles to March for America" will protect national monuments from vandalism this time.

The ANSWER coalition issued a statement responding to the provocation, saying the rightist groups involved are "callously trying to manipulate Vietnam veterans by spreading rumors" that the antiwar march will defile the Vietnam Memorial.

For more information on the peace rallies, contact the YS at youngsocialists@mac.com, or 306 W. 37th St., 10th floor, New York, NY 10018, (212) 629-6649; local Militant distributors; ANSWER at www.answercoalition.org, (202) 544-3389; or UFPJ at www.unitedforpeace.org, (212) 868-5545.
 
 
Related articles:
7,000 more U.S. troops to be deployed to Iraq
Washington escalates imperialist war
1,100 U.S. troops in Sadr City; airstrikes up
U.S. forces in Afghanistan kill at least 23 civilians
Washington demands Pakistani rulers do more to fight ‘terror’
New draft Iraqi oil law has many opponents  
 
 
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