"A successful bully is still a bully," declared a placard held above the river of umbrellas that flowed through the streets of San Francisco on Saturday, 12 April. Peace activists in the Bay area did not let the rain drown their parade: neither the downpour nor the apparent victory of the Anglo-American forces kept an estimated 5000 anti-war protestors from joining the thousands of others around the world calling for a halt to what they see as the invasion turned occupation of Iraq.

Among the determined demonstrators were two elderly women on wheelchairs; the fact that rally speeches were being simultaneously translated into sign language showed that they were not the only physically challenged people in the assembly representing the diversity that characterizes this area of the country.

The turnout on Saturday was far smaller than what the city, situated in what local people proudly claim is "the most anti-war district in the country," had become accustomed to over the past few months. During the spontaneous protests of 20 March, which ensured that it was "No Business as Usual" in San Francisco on the day after the attacks on Iraq began, for example, the number of people actually arrested was as high as 2400.

However, not only was Saturday's crowd larger than expected under the circumstances but it also demonstrated that the peace movement had not lost its sense of purpose. Some of the slogans had been slightly altered to fit the current situation - for instance, "Stop the war" has become "Stop the occupation." The earlier focus on the fact that the war lacked the legitimacy of a United Nations resolution had shifted to the need for the U.N. to play a central role in restoring peace and rebuilding the shattered country.

In addition, activists highlighted the fact that the military invasion would soon be followed by a corporate invasion. Indeed, action against "war profiteers" seems to be a major component of the movement's future strategy. For example, demonstrations are scheduled to be held outside the California headquarters of Chevron-Texaco and Lockheed over the coming week. In Washington, D.C., too, the anti-war rally on Saturday abandoned its traditional venue of The Mall for downtown areas where the corporate offices of companies waiting in the wings to begin the reconstruction of Iraq are located.

Earlier in the week, demonstrators picketed the Port of Oakland to protest against the involvement of the shipping company, American President Lines, in supplying war materials to West Asia. Several protestors and some longshoremen, who had come to work but would not cross the picket lines, were injured in this direct action on 7 April, when the police shot rubber pellets, wooden dowels and bean bags at them in what is being widely viewed as an inexcusable, excessive use of force by the law-enforcers. On 9 April protestors in San Francisco staged a sit-in and picket line outside the offices of Autonomy Corp., whose board of directors includes Richard Perle (member and former chairman of the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board who is widely believed to be an architect of the war against Iraq), and which, according to peace activists, makes software that can be used by the government to spy on citizens.

At Saturday's rally, a number of speakers said that the real purpose of the war had become clearer than ever, as the fighting appeared to be winding down. By way of example, one speaker pointed out that the only building in Baghdad being guarded by the armed forces was the ministry of oil, even as the plunder and looting of hospitals, scientific laboratories and other vital institutions were being allowed, if not encouraged.

The mainstream media also seem likely to be future targets of the peace movement. In a statement issued last week, International ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), the main organizers of this weekend's rallies, said the march would target "corporate profiteers, Fox News and the pro-war media." According to them, the corporate media have concealed the reality of the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Saturday's march in the capital included protests outside media outlets based in the downtown area. A sign held by a marcher in San Francisco encouraged people to turn to foreign media for information. A number of placards featured images of wounded Iraqis, especially children, downloaded from Al Jazeera, and said, "This is what 'collateral damage' looks like."

The protesters in San Francisco were clearly exercised about the continuing war mongering of the leading lights of the Bush administration, including the threats issued to Syria last week. They chanted "No justice, no peace: U.S. out of the Middle East" as they marched and danced to the sound of a variety of drums and innovative, make-shift percussion instruments.

Peace organizations are clearly hoping to keep the movement going and growing beyond the war by linking the government's foreign and domestic policies. According to the ANSWER statement, "…this planned 'endless war' is a class war waged by the U.S. government on behalf of corporate and banking elites against all those governments in the formerly colonized world that have dared to maintain nominal independence and control over their natural resources… Working people in the United States have nothing to gain from this war for Empire. It is for the enrichment and power of the same corporate and banking circles that have engaged in mass layoffs, union busting, wage cutting, elimination of healthcare and other benefits. In fact, Bush's war for Empire requires a massive transfer of wealth from social service programs to fund the Pentagon's rapidly expanding budget." As one placard pointed out, what ordinary people even in this country need and want is: "Money for healthcare. Money for schools."

With political leaders in India speaking of "pre-emptive strikes" with renewed vigour in the aftermath of the war on Iraq, such links may have to be made to rally the troops against war before the troops are sent into war.

New York Rallies Against War - a report by Ammu Joseph

Where are the war correspondents? an article by Kanak Dixit

Back to Media and War index

Back to Round-up index