Vol. 74/No. 13      April 5, 2010

Three thousand marched in San Francisco. As demonstrators went by the Hilton Hotel, some joined the picket line in support of Local 2 of the UNITE HERE union, which is fighting for new contracts at many local hotels.

The march here drew about 1,500 people from the nearby area, as well as New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Florida. Quite a few were high school or college students. Another 1,000 marched in Los Angeles and 200 in Seattle. The ANSWER Coalition sponsored the actions, which were endorsed by many other organizations.

“We have to show [President Barack] Obama we don’t support his foreign policy,” said Sarah Ikhmayes, who came from New York on a bus organized by Al-Awda, a Palestinian organization. She said she opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the attacks on Palestinians in Gaza by the Israeli government.

“Many of us are from countries where the war is taking place,” said Rishi, from Desis Rising Up and Moving, a group made up of Pakistanis and other South Asians in New York. “Obama said he was going to stop the war. Instead, he’s sending more drones.”

Families of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan marched under the banner of Military Families Speak Out.

A band of drummers behind a banner that read “Bongha Washington—Koreans for Peace” marched in traditional dress. They carried signs saying “End Korean War” and “Sign Peace Treaty Now,” a reference to the fact the U.S. government has never officially ended its hostilities against North Korea. “There has to be peace before there can be any hope of talks” on unification of North and South Korea, said Kay Kim, a leader of the group, which is made up of Koreans and Korean Americans in the D.C. area.

Speakers at the rally expressed disappointment that Obama has escalated the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan. A common thread in the speakers’ remarks and on many signs was the American nationalist theme that the money spent on the wars should be spent instead on education and other needs at home. “Come back to America and pay attention to the problems here,” said Ralph Nader. He called for focusing on electing more Democrats to Congress.

Speakers also protested the $7,500 in fines imposed on ANSWER by the D.C. government for putting up antiwar posters in the last two weeks. ANSWER says this is on top of $70,000 in fines the group is challenging in court.

Eight people on the march were arrested after placing coffins at a White House fence.

Eric Simpson from San Francisco contributed to this article.
 
 
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