-IL 27 OTTOBRE 2001 CI SONO STATE IN 75 CITTA' DEGLI USA MANIFESTAZIONI CONTRO LA GUERRA

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Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Nov. 8, 2001
issue of Workers World newspaper
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IN 75 CITIES ACROSS U.S.: PEOPLE PROTEST WAR

By Leslie Feinberg

They took to the streets. They raised their voices. They
educated themselves and others through rallies and teach-
ins, car caravans and leafleting. On Oct. 27 people in 75
cities all across the United States protested the Pentagon
raining of death and destruction on the people of
Afghanistan. They demanded an end to the frenzy of racist
profiling. And they stood shoulder to shoulder to defend the
most basic civil liberties that are being stripped away.

And as they demonstrated, they were forging a bond with
those in more than 40 cities in 20 other countries who were
carrying out similar protests at the same time.

The Oct. 27 international day of protest was initiated by
the coalition known as International ANSWER: Act Now to Stop
War and End Racism. The call was first heard from speakers
at the podium at the massive Sept. 29 anti-war, anti-racist
protest of more than 20,000 organized in Washington, D.C.,
by the then newly formed coalition.

Watching television or reading the newspapers could lead
anyone here or around the world to believe that there is
virtually no popular opposition as the U.S. military pounds
away at the impoverished population of Afghanistan.

That's part of why it is so important that people of so many
nationalities, ages, sexes, genders and sexualities united
to take a public stand in opposition to the war, and the
growing tide of state-sponsored racism and repression.

Protests in many forms took place in large urban areas that
don't require a state for identification: New York City,
Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia,
Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver,
Minneapolis.

But events also took place in Laramie, Wyo.; Flagstaff,
Ariz.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; Missoula, Mont.; Dover,
Peterborough and Plymouth, N.H.; Westport, Conn.; St. Louis
and Columbia, Mo.; Northfield, N.J.; Portland, Ore.;
Bloomington, Ind.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Honesdale and
Lewisburg, Pa.; Providence, R.I.; and Lawrence, Kan.

Cities throughout the South--including the historic sites of
Civil Rights movement battles--held Oct. 27 activities. They
include Birmingham, Ala.; Little Rock, Ark., Memphis and
Nashville, Tenn.; Columbus, Miss.; Miami and Tallahassee,
Fla.; Austin, Texas; and Morgantown, W. Va.

In Orlando, Fla., 2,000 gathered at the Magic sports arena
for "Operation Education." The event, with largely a Muslim
audience and speakers, was organized by the International
Students for Peace and Justice.

Some states saw demonstrations in numerous cities in
addition to some of the major urban centers already cited.

Virginia: Richmond, Charlottesville, Fredericksburg and
Radford University.

New Mexico: Albuquerque, Sante Fe, Taos, Gallup and Truth or
Consequences.

New York: Buffalo, Albany, Hudson, Kingston and Yonkers.

North Carolina: Appalachian State University/Boone,
Asheville, Chapel Hill and Charlotte.

California: San Diego, Chico, Arcata, Sacramento and
Huntington Beach.

And rallies, teach-ins and other forms of protest took place
at many, many colleges and universities across the United
States.

Organizers of the international day of actions vow to
continue to ratchet up protests against the war, racism and
assault on civil liberties. For information on how to become
a part of this burgeoning young movement, contact
International ANSWER Coalition, 39 W. 14 St., NY, NY 10011.
Call (212) 633-6646 in New York; (202) 543-2777 in
Washington; or (415) 821-6545 in San Francisco. Send email
to iacenter@action-mail.org, or visit
www.internationalanswer.org on the Web.

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