Large demonstrations throughout the world

[Guest]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Tens of thousands of people marched in peaceful protest of any military strike against Iraq yesterday afternoon, in an antiwar demonstration that organizers and police suggested was likely Washington's largest since the Vietnam era.

Organizers with International ANSWER, a coalition of antiwar groups that coordinated the demonstration, had hoped for a turnout rivaling that of its pro-Palestine rally in April that officials estimated at about 75,000. Organizers said they easily eclipsed that figure yesterday, assessing attendance at well more than 100,000. D.C. Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey also said he figured yesterday's rally turnout exceeded that in April, but he didn't provide a specific number.

"We think this was just extremely, extremely successful," said Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, a D.C. organizer with International ANSWER, Act Now to Stop War and End Racism. "It absolutely shows that when George Bush says America speaks with one voice, and it's his voice, he's wrong."

After a rally that lasted more than three hours at Constitution Gardens, near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the march began at 21st Street and Constitution Avenue. Using 17th, H, 15th and E streets NW, they circled the White House and returned to their starting point. Shoulder-to-shoulder crowds filled the streets for several blocks. When marchers at the front of the procession returned to Constitution Avenue on their way back, they had to wait to allow demonstrators at the tail of the march to pass.

Other demonstrations in cities including Rome, Berlin, Copenhagen, Denmark, Tokyo and Mexico City were held to coincide with the Washington march, and in San Francisco at a sister march, thousands marched through downtown.

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Washington Post Article

Number of demonstrator according to Dagens Nyheter:

Washington DC: 100,000-150,000

San Francisco: 42,000

Berlin: 10,000

Amsterdam: 4,000

Other cities (no numbers) with large demonstrations:

Tokyo, Rome, Brussels, London, Mexico City, Stockholm...

[FSPilot 0]

I think the polls show that the majority of people want to go to war with Iraq.

The people that matter, anyway. American citizens. Who cares what Germans think, they're not involved at all.

[cybrid 0]

I've had it up to here with all these anti-war nuts.

[zverushka 0]

The US public wants us to invade, so a couple of people show up at some antiwar demonstration. BIG DEAL. It's not gonna change anything

[KingBeast 0]

Why invade Iraq? No reason except for oil. If Bush wantsto continue this war on terrorism and "small countries with WMD" then why isnt he marching off to North Korea, who are far more of a threat than Iraq?

[bn880 5]

Yes apparently the majority US public wants to attack Iraq. I don't know how credible those polls are though.

On the other hand, most of the civilized world does not want to see that happen...

EDIT: I will believe the US polls if the poll specs are published in full.

[Tex -USMC- 0]

http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/pr021008.asp

If you can find a more credible polling organization than Gallup, I'm all ears.

-----

Edit: this is really a very interesting report; I'd reccomend everyone go through it.

[Tex -USMC- 0]

I think the key polling figures in the report I just cited is America's unwillingness to take a high number of casualties. Even with as few as 100 casualties, support slips a few percentage points. Go as high as 5,000 casualties, and you are looking at an American public steadfastly against an American invasion

[Tex -USMC- 0]

The opposition to a war on Iraq is personified in the organization that Denoir's quote cites.

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">International ANSWER, Act Now to Stop War and End Racism.<span id='postcolor'>

Stop war AND end racism?? I am not one to be overly cynical of idealistic efforts, but if this isn't the most bleeding heart, pie in the sky, namby pamby liberalistic democommie organization I have ever heard of, then my uncle is really my aunt.

This happened with the first major anti-war protest of the season in New York. Ostensibly, it was a large anti-war rally, but in reality it was an almagamation of far left hot button issue causes, really more of a huge, collective liberal temper tantrum than a truly cohesive protest.

This carries over to these most recent protests. These protesters' agendas are so varied and insanely out of touch with mainstream America that they have absolutely no hope of getting anything done.

[SantaMania 0]

The US citizents are just bored thats all.... They just want other people to suffer to get their minds away from their own problems.

sad isnt it?

[edc 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I've had it up to here with all these anti-war nuts.<span id='postcolor'>

Ditto

[ralphwiggum 6]

ok..i've had enough. if we can't have civilized discussion, then there is no point of having a thread.

Tex did good job with providing gallup poll, but i see this as future flame war.

[ralphwiggum 6]

after some consideration, i think this thread deserves another chance.

however, should anyone start flame war, that person will be banned for a week.

i'd like to see more of mature posts like the one Tex did.

[Tex -USMC- 0]

this sucker is better off being closed.

[Tex -USMC- 0]

Okay, case in point: Here is a picture of some protestors:

Friggin loonies

Now, I don't know about you, but if these guys were marching for the most honorable cause in existence, I would buy a 2-by-4 for the express purpose of exercising my free speech on their face.

[Tex -USMC- 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">"Nebraskans for Peace" and "Hoosiers for Non-Violence" chanted alongside silver-coiffed retirees from Chicago and a Muslim student association from Michigan. Parents could be seen enjoying a sunny, picnic-perfect afternoon by pushing a stroller with one hand and carrying a "No War for Oil" sign with the other, and police on horseback monitored nearby.

*SNIP*

Although the main protest message was focused on opposing war in Iraq, a few other causes slipped into the mix. Many of the same people who marched for Palestinian rights in April joined yesterday's march, waving Palestinian flags. But like others who had become activists for other causes, they said opposing the war was what brought them out yesterday.

"I don't come here to carry signs for fun," said Ribhi Ramadan, 36, who brought his family of seven from Paterson, N.J., to the protest. "I support not just Palestine, but everywhere that's threatened by war."

Luigi Procopio, 45, a social worker from the district, wore a pink triangle with "$ FOR AIDS NOT WAR" written on it. He said even though he normally focuses his activism on issues in the gay community, he and at least a dozen friends came to protest the war in Iraq.

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Highly scattered, completely uncoordinated in lobbying terms. They are crippled by the same thing that cripples the G8 and WTO protests: Noone knows what exactly these people want.

[DarkLight 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (FSPilot @ Oct. 26 2002,20:05)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I think the polls show that the majority of people want to go to war with Iraq.

The people that matter, anyway.  American citizens.  Who cares what Germans think, they're not involved at all.<span id='postcolor'>

Em what are you talking about, the poll shows that a huge amount of people do not agree at all.

I can't believe you say stuff like that!

[Balschoiw 0]

I think it´s good that some people foresee the consequences of a war on iraq. There will be people killed. That IS in my eyes a thing that anyone is allowed to think about.

If there were no demonstrations during Vietnam war there would have a died a lot more people. Also I prefer solutions that are not achieved by investing blood. Probalbly you don´t know what a real war looks like. Funny how brainwash seems to work.

Ah yes and one comment more: You say that noone cares what germans or other nations say to this. You are very wrong as the great US nations is not allowed to start the war without the permission of other countries. At the moment it looks like Warlord Bush doesnt get the permission from other countries to do so . At least some of them have their brains activated. AND in case yes you need to worry about us also, cause the bang will certainly echo within the Europe countries most. So I think you should be a bit less arrogant and check the consequences an US attack on iraq will have in europe.

And to all of the guys that are so keen on a war:

Join the army and take part in a war. You all take about a war like it was a weekend stay in the countryside...You have no idea and I doubt that you would stand your first day there.

I prefer people who think, before they talk.

[DarkLight 0]

Can't you people just try to accept that a lot of people do NOT want this war and do not agree at all with what Bush thinks.

SHeesh, what's the big deal, he'll probable start the war anyway...

[Major Fubar 0]

Yes, who cares what the rest of the world thinks, as long as the public of the USA fulfill some misplaced need for revenge.

Bad Arabs! Bad!  

P.S. I maintain the right to be pissed off, as my country has been dragged into this by George W and our own weak prime minister Howard...

[IceFire 0]

Don't you people remember what happened on Sept 11??

Saddam Hussein is a terrorist and a threat. Jeez, right after Sept 11, people were talking about how all terrorist scum should die. Now it looks like everyone has forgot and don't want war.

These people would kill you and your children for fun because they think that they are the greatest and that non muslim people should die.

They are a threat as long as they breath. Jail wont stop them nothing else will. Only their own deaths will stop them from taking more innocent life.

We shouln't attack Irak? These monsters shouln't have attacked us on 911 and killed nearly 3 thousand innocents.

I say the more of them that we take out, the safer innocent life is.

There is no more negotiating. Those bastards deserve whatever they get.

[Major Fubar 0]

True dogma. As dogmatic as any terrorist.

How can you think a whole race are terrorists?

And how can you be so naieve as to think the only reason the real terrorists attacked the USA was because you are non-Mulism?

The media really seems to have the American public barking right along to the tune of vengeance.

Maybe what the American public really want is all Muslims to be put in concentration camps, as a "Final Solution"...

Why do I bother? Why do I always bite?...I withdraw myself from this debate, as of now.

[ran 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (IceFire @ Oct. 28 2002,12:26)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Don't you people remember what happened on Sept 11??

Saddam Hussein is a terrorist and a threat.  Jeez, right after Sept 11, people were talking about how all terrorist scum should die.  Now it looks like everyone has forgot and don't want war.

These people would kill you and your children for fun because they think that they are the greatest and that non muslim people should die.

They are a threat as long as they breath.  Jail wont stop them nothing else will.  Only their own deaths will stop them from taking more innocent life.

We shouln't attack Irak?   These monsters shouln't have attacked us on 911 and killed nearly 3 thousand innocents.  

I say the more of them that we take out, the safer innocent life is.

There is no more negotiating.  Those bastards deserve whatever they get.<span id='postcolor'>

my god , i implore your pity for us , poor stupid animals

[Col. Kurtz 0]

Icefire, where is the proof that Iraq was invlolved with Septemeber 11 attacks? Where is the heard eveidence? Sure, Hussiens a dictator, but there is no proof he is a terrorist leader, or directly funds terrorists.

I have no love for Hussien, but I think starting a war is something that takes careful consdiration. Remember WW1? Everybody thought it would be a nice stroll in the park and would be finished in a few months. Look what happened. I doubt another war on Iraq would start WW3, but sill, it could upset the middle eastern nations.

[ran 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Col. Kurtz @ Oct. 28 2002,13:32)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Icefire, where is the proof that Iraq was invlolved with Septemeber 11 attacks? Where is the heard eveidence? Sure, Hussiens a dictator, but there is no proof he is a terrorist leader, or directly funds terrorists.

I have no love for Hussien, but I think starting a war is something that takes careful consdiration. Remember WW1? Everybody thought it would be a nice stroll in the park and would be finished in a few months. Look what happened. I doubt another war on Iraq would start WW3, but sill, it could upset the middle eastern nations.<span id='postcolor'>

bahhh , it's useless t try to reason him ..