On Saturday, March 21st, the group A.N.S.W.E.R. called for an action: “March on the Pentagon: Occupation is a Crime.” At least three third party groups endorsed the event.
The Party for Socialism and Liberation and the Socialist Party USA encouraged members to attend the march in Washington, DC. The Peace and Freedom Party — a socialist, feminist party based in California, which has more recently worked on national outreach — marched in a parallel march in San Francisco.
The D.C. demonstration included chants of, “From Iraq to Palestine: Occupation is a crime.” Demonstrators also stopped to shout outside the offices of Lockheed Martin, calling the corporation to account for “genocide.” There is video of coverage of the event from The Real News Network is: here.
14 responses so far ↓
1 Kimberly Wilder // Mar 22, 2009 at 10:59 am
Written upon reader request.
2 Fred Church Ortiz // Mar 22, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Made it out to the L.A. one. PSL was running the show as the main body of the local ANSWER, Peace and Freedom had a booth, and maybe a half dozen of the smaller but enthusiastic socialist parties were there passing out their newsletters for 50¢-$2 donations.
Wasn’t able to bring the camera for a fuller article, just imagine if you will a sea of displeased leftists, a handful of libertarians and RPers struggling to find eachother in the crowd, and a number of protestants and vegans haranguing the crowd with bullhorns. I was fortunate enough to march by the Antiwar.com banner, manned by Brian Doherty , Angela Keaton and an RP dude named Carsten. There was also a very organized 9/11 truth group that had the biggest damn banners I’ve ever seen, they had to march with their signs parallel to the street because they weren’t enough lanes to fit the things the traditional way. It ended up being more advantageous for them, since their’s was probably one of the few visible through the crowd for any on-lookers.
I don’t understand why the big die-in was held outside of a Masonic Temple, why some people took it as an opportunity to make out, or why SAG was given time to pitch their contract (okay, I “get” the last one, but it’s still disingenuous).
3 HumbleTravis // Mar 22, 2009 at 6:12 pm
Masonic Temple? Was Texe Marrs there to document?
4 Robert Milnes // Mar 22, 2009 at 11:53 pm
Hasn’t Angela ended that war yet? Oh, wait. That was my…fantasy/DELUSION…, that she & I were a ticket in 2008 & won in a squeaker & we had the troops withdrawn by now. Never mind!
5 Fred Church Ortiz // Mar 23, 2009 at 12:51 am
Talking about your delusions openly is a step towards wellness. I am happy for you.
6 Robert Milnes // Mar 23, 2009 at 1:41 am
That’s nothing! A lot of people had the mass delusion that a vote for Obama was a vote to end the war, like now ,man!
7 Thomas L. Knapp // Mar 23, 2009 at 5:52 am
Bob,
There’s a difference between the “vote for Obama” delusion and the “vote for Milnes” delusion.
Obama made it quite clear that he had no intention of “end[ing] the war, like, now, man.” In order to believe that he was going to, one had to willfully ignore what he said.
You, on the other hand, made it quite clear that you believed you could win the election if you could get the support of one, even one, person (a female libertarian to run as your veep). In order to believe that, one had to willfully ignore the sum total of human history, fact and reality. And, in fact, one did. That one was you.
Regards,
Tom Knapp
8 Henry Noble // Mar 23, 2009 at 11:34 am
Freedom Socialist Party and supporters also partcipated in the antiwar marches in L.A., SF, Seattle and Washington D.C. this weekend. And in Portland, OR the previous weekend.
9 Michael Cavlan // Mar 23, 2009 at 2:36 pm
In Minnesota, many of the Former [G]reen Party activists (including myself) handed out flyers for the meting to start a Chapter of peace and Freedom in Minnesota.
There was one person from the Green Party present who could not find another green to hold the other end of the Green Party banner.
Peace and Freedom Party is now in the early organizing stages in Minnesota.
10 Michael Cavlan // Mar 23, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Keep your eyes on Minnesota all of you Third Party folks.
While people blether on about the Al Franken, Norm Coleman race and re-count, remember the Independence party candidate for US Senate recieved 15% of the vote.
The GP choose to run no-one. That and the Nader experience is why so many are leaving the GP here.
11 paulie // Mar 23, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Any LP chapters under their own banner?
12 mdh // Mar 24, 2009 at 9:25 pm
And if not, Paulie, why not? I mean, seriously. Ending the war is a big libertarian issue, so why does this article only mention a bunch of socialist parties?
13 paulie // Mar 24, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Because we have no news of any non-socialist parties participating, although Fred mentioned some individual libertarians doing so.
I should make it clear, also, that it is not my article.
14 Donald Raymond Lake // Mar 28, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Obama, my Yokohama Momma!
“Change that I am still looking for…….”
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