On February 15, millions of the people of the world stood up against the imperial might of the United States government, to say no to war with Iraq. In the largest day of protest ever, the people’s movements have done what so many governments have been unable to do – scare the U.S. war machine. People in over 2,000 cities worldwide came out. Over a quarter of a million people in the U.S. alone stood up against the war.

In its attempts to quickly force consent upon its people and the world in the face of such formidable opposition, the Bush administration failed to garner international support through the United Nations or to even put the question to the U.S. Congress.

Despite the efforts of mass movements around the world, the people were only able to delay the Bush war machine, not stop it. On March 19, Iraq once again was showered with the full brunt of U.S. bombs, followed by a massive ground war.

The day after the bombs started dropping, millions poured into the streets of the major cities of the world. In Minneapolis 1,500 students came out to protest at the University of Minnesota campus, including students who walked out of dozens of high schools and middle schools. Later, almost 10,000 took to the streets in the freezing rain.

Hundreds of thousands came out in other major cities, shutting down major business districts in San Francisco and Los Angeles. The tidal wave of protests swept from Austin, Texas to Chicago; it shook the east coast and moved to the steps of the White House. Arrests in most major cities showed that it would not be business as usual, as major business areas were shut down and streets taken over.

Around the world, people came out to protest U.S. aggression and denounce the ringleaders of its corrupt regime. In Yemen, a protest ended up with two being killed in clashes with the police, amidst chants of, “Death to the U.S., death to Israel.” In Malaysia, 5,000 marched chanting “Death to Bush.” In Europe and Japan, millions took to the streets.

Here in the U.S., domestic attacks are reaching all sections of people. The poor are dying on the streets as billions are spent in bombs. Schools are facing some of their toughest times, as funding is being cut to already under-funded programs. Labor unions’ hard earned rights are being taken away in the name of ‘domestic security.’ Immigrants are getting the door slammed in their face; many of them are disappeared, taken in for questioning.

When the African American family members of Marine Sergeant Kendall Damon Waters-Bey, one of the first Americans killed in the war, denounced Bush’s war on Iraq, their outrage was turned into a 30-second sound bite, that quickly disappeared from the media. Sergeant Waters-Bey’s father was right to say, “Bush, you took my only son!”

Across the U.S., communities of people are standing up against the war and occupation. Doctors and Nurses Against the War, Neighbors for Peace, Educators for Peace, Students Against War, Veterans for Peace and others are standing together, united against the danger at home, U.S. imperialism. The people have spoken and they will continue to stand up and speak out again this unjust war.

No justice, no peace! U.S. out of the Middle East!

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