Thursday, February 14, 2013

Protesting the invasion of Iraq 2003

Where were you ten years ago?  On this day in February 2003, 15 million people in 800 cities around the world had enough energy and moral courage to take to the streets to protest the impending USA invasion of Iraq.  Of course, this did not put the smallest dent in the plans—there were expensive bombs to explode and brown people with oil under their lands to kill.  Big media and spineless politicians joined in a chorus of lies.

And why not?  The liars, for the most part, still have their jobs—Thomas Friedman I'm looking at you.  The merchants of death got richer.  So what if the country is now crawling with seriously damaged Iraq vets—they will probably just kill themselves over some combination of PTSD and guilt.  So what if the whole war was put on the public's credit card—the debts will just provide a convenient excuse to destroy necessary social programs like Social Security.

Yeah we were right—the invasion was a disaster.  It wasn't even good for the USA oil interests.  But the Predator Class scum got richer and that's what seems to count.  Most of us are a lot worse off than we were ten years ago but the usual suspects are happy so I'll bet this day passes unnoticed by anyone who thinks they are important.

Where were you on 2.15.03?

by Mike Ferner | February 12, 2013

On that day, for the first time in human history, people of every nation on earth said “NO” to a war before it began.

By the 10’s of millions, starting in New Zealand and Australia and sweeping westward over the globe for 24 hours, peoplepoured into streets and public places to shout with one voice, “NO WAR ON IRAQ!”

In the face of this overwhelming, universal cry for peace, the US and UK repeatedly lied and invaded Iraq, which says all that needs saying about the supposed “democracies” we live in. Even the staid New York Times was moved to admit that “there may still be two superpowers on the planet: the United States and world public opinion.”

If you were part of that earth-shaking cry for peace, you can remember the exquisite, breathtaking feeling of being part of something our species had never done before.

As long as we remember the power we exercised on that day it will be ours to use whenever we call it forward, as the Occupy movement did most recently.

from wikepedia:
On February 15, millions of people protested, in approximately 800 cities around the world. Listed by the 2004 Guinness Book of Records as the largest protest in human history, protests occurred among others in the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Republic of Ireland, the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Syria, India, Russia, South Korea, Japan, and even McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Perhaps the largest demonstration this day occurred in London, with up to one million protestors gathering in Hyde Park; speakers included the Reverend Jesse Jackson, London mayor Ken Livingstone, and Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy. A large demonstration, also attended by perhaps around a million, took place in Barcelona.

Beginning in 2002, and continuing after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, large-scale protests against the Iraq War were held in many cities worldwide, often coordinated to occur simultaneously around the world. After the biggest series of demonstrations, on February 15, 2003, New York Times writer Patrick Tyler claimed that they showed that there were two superpowers on the planet, the United States and worldwide public opinion.

These demonstrations against the war were mainly organized by anti-war organizations, many of whom had been formed in opposition to the invasion of Afghanistan. In some Arab countries demonstrations were organized by the state. Europe saw the biggest mobilization of protesters, including a rally of three million people in Rome, which is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest ever anti-war rally.

According to the French academic Dominique Reynié, between January 3 and April 12, 2003, 36 million people across the globe took part in almost 3,000 protests against the Iraq war.  more
Mike Ferner (mike.ferner@sbcglobal.net) was in Baghdad on 2.15.03 with the Iraq Peace Team, a project of Voices in the Wilderness. About 200 people from over 10 nations marched in a peace rally through Baghdad that day.

1 comment:

  1. Where was I Feb 2003?
    --Iceland! And I ranted to everyone in my small circle who would listen to me, about how invading Iraq would create ten times more terrorists than it would find/kill. And I wish I had been wrong.

    The polite Icelanders went from considering me just a simple x-c ski coach from America to being just another war-mongering American. When their confusion and comfort with me would allow, they would ask me 'why is the USA doing this invasion' and how could I answer?
    --because the powerful world elite are entrenched with the military-industrial complex?
    --because they control the media?
    --because they want access to Iraqi oil?
    --because the population has been cowered with nationalism and racism?

    It was a difficult winter. I've never felt more attached to being American and more frustrated to be considered one...it was sad to be there but even more difficult to return to here in the USA.

    But I returned more an American patriot then ever before in my life. If I was going to be labeled an American, then by God America was going to hear my voice. Regardless of how anti-social I became by speaking out. I guess I grew up a bit.

    As always--thank you for your postings here! Best wishes and keep up the great work!

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