Protesters slam escalation of war in Afghanistan

By Kris Hamel

Anti-war activists across the United States took to the streets in response to President Barack Obama’s Dec. 1 announcement that an additional 30,000 U.S. troops will be sent to Afghanistan in a major escalation of the war on that central Asian country.

New York City WW photo: John Catalinotto

Even as Obama was speaking to Army cadets and officers at West Point, demonstrators from many anti-war groups were picketing at nearby Highland Falls, N.Y. Another protest took place in Los Angeles called by the International Action Center.

By the next day emergency actions were held in more than 100 U.S. cities from coast to coast.

Hundreds of activists gathered in Times Square in New York, where one speaker called Dec. 2 “the first day of mobilization of resistance to the imperialist war against Afghanistan.”

Called by the International Action Center and the Troops Out Now Coalition, the action received the endorsement of two dozen local and national anti-war, military veteran and community organizations representing different parts of New York’s varied immigrant population. Representatives of Pakistani, Iranian, Philippine, Korean, Honduran, Haitian and Palestinian organizations spoke.

New York City WW photo: John Catalinotto

Along with expressing sharp opposition to the U.S.-NATO occupation of Afghanistan and the new escalation, speakers raised opposition to U.S. military expansion in Latin America, U.S. support for the coup regime in Honduras, its support for Israel against the Palestinians, and U.S. hostility to Cuba, Iran and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Speakers also drew attention to the economic crisis and the need to take the funds destined for the Pentagon’s war machine and use them for a real jobs program.

Most speakers at the Times Square protest also expressed disbelief about the president’s contention that U.S. troops would begin leaving Afghanistan by 2011.

Philadelphia WW photo: Joe Piette

Several hundred peace and anti-war activists demonstrated at the federal building in downtown Detroit. The protest was called by the Detroit Area Peace with Justice Network and supported by the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War and Injustice.

Participating groups included the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights, Green Party, Detroit MLK Committee, Peace Action, Solidarity, Workers World Party and the social-justice-based Central United Methodist Church. The crowd was multigenerational, with veteran activists as well as students chanting loudly for an end to the war in Afghanistan.

During a brief rally, a MECAWI representative stressed that when people voted for Obama last year they were not casting their ballots to expand the existing wars: “People who voted for Obama wanted a real jobs program, health care, and new foreign and domestic policy for the U.S. Instead it is still the Pentagon and Wall Street that are setting policy for the government.”

Buffalo, N.Y. WW photo: Ellie Dorritie

A DAPJN spokesperson emphasized that “people should pressure Congress to cut off funding for the escalation of the war.” Rev. Ed Rowe of Central United Methodist Church challenged the religious community to come out solidly against the wars being waged by the Pentagon. All the organizations called for ongoing protests to end the present war drive in Central Asia.

The demonstration was covered by the local television affiliates of Fox and NBC and the Detroit News and Free Press daily newspapers.

A militant rally and march of several hundred to 1,000 anti-war activists took place in downtown San Francisco during evening rush hour. The protest was organized by the National Assembly to End the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and Occupations and the Answer Coalition. Many other groups participated, including the International Action Center, Workers World Party, Code Pink, World Can’t Wait and Raging Grannies.

More than 40 people gathered in front of the federal building in downtown Tucson, Ariz., for a protest the evening of Dec. 3. Signs demanding “Money for Jobs, Not for War!” and “Stop the War” were met with raised fists and honks of approval from rush-hour traffic. The hour-long rally was called on short notice by local activists. It was noted that the people of Tucson, who have seen their city fill up with Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as “border security” moves northward, need jobs and health care, not more war and militarization.

Around 100 protesters gathered in Philadelphia across from City Hall to speak out against the Obama administration’s escalation of war in Afghanistan. Despite a steady drizzle, demonstrators got their message out to downtown workers, shoppers and a group who had gathered for the city’s annual display of holiday lights across the street.

Several protesters carried signs reading “Jobs Not War” and “Money for Health Care, Not for Warfare.” Participating groups included Brandywine Peace Community, Philadelphia Anti-War Coalition, International Action Center, Bail Out the People Movement, Kensington Welfare Rights Union, Answer Coalition, Granny Peace Brigade and Students for a Democratic Society. A number of students came from area schools.

Protesters in Buffalo, N.Y., rallied and took a long caravan of decorated cars through city streets to a large shopping mall. Holiday shoppers received leaflets protesting President Obama’s announcement. The leaflet and car signs both emphasized the relationship between the huge military budget and the lack of money for jobs and health care.

People stopped and read the signs and signaled their support to the protesters. Buffalo is the third poorest city in the country.

The event was co-sponsored by the Buffalo Forum, Citizen Action of Western New York, Code Pink, Episcopal Peace Fellowship, Green Party of Erie County, Interfaith Peace Network, International Action Center, Pax Christi New York, Peace Jam Buffalo, University of Buffalo Progressive Alliance, Western New York Peace Center and Women in Black.

In Chicago several demonstrations took place, including a protest at the Federal Plaza called by Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism that drew several hundred activists on Dec. 5. The action was endorsed by about 75 groups. Organizers with the Bail Out the People Movement passed out leaflets entitled “Money for Jobs, Not for War,” urging people to participate in an April 10 action in Washington, D.C., for a massive federal jobs program. They reported widespread interest by protest participants. Several hundred Workers World newspapers were also distributed during the march, which went down State Street in a busy shopping area.

In San Diego a group of around 200 gathered on the corner of Fairmont and University, near the office of Congressperson Susan Davis. The protest was called by the San Diego Peace and Justice Coalition. Other groups present included Activist San Diego, Veterans for Peace and the International Action Center.

One of the popular chants was “Obama, Obama, Yes we can, U.S. out of Afghanistan!” Protesters hung banners and signs on a gated fence at a construction site across the street from Davis’ office. Many protesters carried candles for a vigil as the evening darkened and passersby honked their horns in support.

Anti-war protests also occurred in Boston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Denver, Portland, Ore., and other cities and towns throughout the U.S.

Abayomi Azikiwe, John Catalinotto, Bev Hiestand, Jill Hill, Joan Marquardt, Zola Rices Muhammad, Betsey Piette and Paul Teitelbaum contributed to

this article.

---