1/19/03 - 500,000 March in Washington, 200,000 in San Francisco,

Hundreds of Thousands More Around the World to Stop the War on Iraq

Jan 18 Washington DC - photo ChicagoIMC

Half a million people marched through the streets of Washington Saturday and 200,000 demonstrated in San Francisco in the largest U.S. demonstrations yet against war with Iraq.

Sponsored by the International A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) Coalition, the protests were endorsed by thousands of organizations. Similar demonstrations were held in at least 30 other countries.

"Today's demonstrations shattered the myth of consensus for war," said Mara Verheyden-Hilliard of the Partnership for Civil Justice, one of the groups in A.N.S.W.E.R. "Throughout the whole world, demonstrations today showed the kind of people's power it's going to take to stop the war in its tracks."

January 18 was a day of global protest based in the U.S., with coordinated demonstrations held in more than 30 countries -- including Japan, Ireland, Egypt, Spain, Argentina, South Africa, Jordan, Belgium, Syria, Hong Kong, Russia, Germany and Britain.

Announcing a week of anti-war protest for the week of February 13-21 -- and culminating with a Student and Youth Day of Action on the anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X -- organizers of the January 18 demonstration joined the call of the European movement to make Februrary 15 the next step in the worldwide anti-war movement.

The morning of the demonstration, train and subway stations in D.C. were jammed as hundreds of buses -- including 20 from New York's 1199/SEIU Health and Hospital Workers Union, 20 from Winston-Salem South Carolina, eight from Rochester and six from the Chicago Teachers Union -- arrived in the city for the massive protest.

The rally featured such speakers as former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, civil rights activist Mahdi Bray, actors Jessica Lange and Tyne Daly, Representative John Conyers, Reverend Jesse Jackson, former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, author and Vietnam vet Ron Kovic, singer Patti Smith, Reverend Herbert Daughtry, and Elizabeth McAllister.

The program -- with musical performances by British pop group Chumbawumba, singer Patti Smith, and a capella duet Pam Parker and Lucy Murphy -- was opened by Moonanum James of United American Indians of New England.

Speakers included A.N.S.W.E.R. leaders Elias Rashmawi, Free Palestine Alliance; Peta Lindsay, A.N.S.W.E.R. Youth & Student Coordinator; Larry Holmes and Brian Becker, International Action Center; Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, Partnership for Civil Justice; Marie Hilao Enriquez, BAYAN; Macrina Cardenas, Mexico Solidarity Network; Chuck Kaufman, Nicaragua Solidarity Network; Yoomi Jeong, Korea Truth Commission; Cheri Honkala, Kensington Welfare Rights Union; and Ismail Kamal, Muslim Students Association National. Reverend Lucius Walker read an anti-war statement from Rep. Charles Rangel.

Also addressing the rally were representatives of groups such as New York City Labor Against the War, Maryland and D.C. AFL-CIO, Colombia Trade Unionists in Exile, Queers for Peace and Justice, United for Peace and Justice, Not In Our Name, and representatives of the Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques. Speakers reminded the crowd that the fight against war and racism included the struggles to free political prisoners Mumia Abu Jamal, Leonard Peltier, Jamil Al Amin, and the Cuban Five.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

http://www.InternationalANSWER.org

http://www.VoteNoWar.org

dc@internationalanswer.org

New York 212-633-6646

Washington 202-332-5757

Chicago 773-878-0166

Los Angeles 213-487-2368

San Francisco 415-821-6545

Boston 617-522-6626

Sign up to receive updates (low volume):

http://www.internationalanswer.org/subscribelist.html

International A.N.S.W.E.R.

Act Now to Stop War & End Racism

www.InternationalANSWER.org

MORE January 18 PICTURES:

Washington, D.C.:

reuters photo Molly Riley-Washington, D.C. Anti-war March

ANSWER photo, Washington, D.C. Antiwar March, Jan. 18

Reuters photo Molly Riley, Washington,D.C.

Photo ChicagoIMC-Labor Against War

San Francisco: Anti-War Rally, Jan. 18, 2003

Reuters photo Kimimasa Mayama, Tokyo: Anti-War Rally, Jan. 18, 2003

Reuters photo Kimimasa Mayama, Tokyo Anti-War Rally, Jan. 18

:

AP photo Heidelberg, Germany, Anti-War Rally, Jan. 18

AFP photo- Rawalpindi, Pakistan - Anti-War Rally, Jan. 18

International A.N.S.W.E.R.

(Act Now to Stop War & End Racism)

National Office:

39 W. 14 St., #206, NY, NY 10011 · (212) 633-6646

info@internationalanswer.org · www.internationalanswer.org

Washington DC Office:

1247 E St. SE, Washington, DC 20003 · (202) 202-544-3389

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last Updated: Tues., 1/14/2003, 12:10 PM EST

(Pics to be added)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------