“He [Barack Obama] is president because many people thought he was going to be a peace president,” said antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan. “He said he’s not against war. He’s just against dumb wars. I want to tell him that all wars are dumb and that solving problems by using violence and killing our children and having our children kill other people’s children is dumb no matter where you are.”
Some 200 people gathered for a peace march Saturday, March 21, the sixth anniversary of the invasion and occupation of Iraq. The demonstrators’ chief demand was to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan immediately.
Sponsored by the San Diego Coalition for Peace and Justice, the protest began at Fifth and University in Hillcrest, at all corners of the intersection. Cars honked in support of demonstrators as protestors yelled into loudspeakers.
With chants like “Keep your promise, Barack Obama!” and “You said you would end this war, what’d you extend the timeline for?” the message was clearly aimed at the new administration.
The march, which was accompanied by a police escort, continued down University, then turned down Park Avenue to the War Memorial at Balboa Park.
Dave Patterson, a past president of Veterans for Peace, talked about his own experience serving in Vietnam and how it helped him shape his views on war. He talked about how when he was stationed in Thailand in 1972, he saw coverage of anti-war protests back home. “I remember thinking ‘I’m defending the people’s right to do that,’” Patterson said.
Veterans For Peace have been responsible for a number of demonstrations throughout southern California. One of the most notable is Arlington West in Santa Monica. From sunrise to sunset every Sunday, a temporary memorial is erected in honor of the troops lost in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Twenty-five hundred crosses [some represent 10 soldiers lost] are put up to convey to the public what the real cost of war looks like,” Patterson said. “We read off the names, ages and ranks of all 4,500 of the men and women we have lost. The ceremonies take hours ... You can see the pain and anguish on people’s faces.”
When the demonstrators arrived at the War Memorial, they found tables set up for such groups as the Peace Resource Center of San Diego, Progressive Democrats of America, and Project on Youth and Non-military Opportunities (Project YANO), which advocates for demilitarization in public schools. There was also a smaller version of Arlington West set up, with 500 crosses spread across the grass.
Speakers at the peace rally included newscaster and activist Bree Walker as well as antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan.
Walker talked about her outrage over the lack of progressive radio outlets in San Diego, a development she attributes to Clear Channel Communications. She also discussed her acquisition of Camp Casey, adding that she now uses the property as an organic farm to help feed military families.
In June 2007 Walker bought Sheehan’s five-acre “Camp Casey,” a makeshift camp Sheehan created in August 2005 in Crawford, Texas, about three miles from George W. Bush’s former vacation compound, Prairie Chapel Ranch. The camp was named after her son Casey Sheehan, who was killed by enemy action in Iraq in April 2004.
When Sheehan took the stage back at the War Memorial, the crowd erupted in applause.
Sheehan talked about the dichotomy between the “robber class” (Wall Street denizens) and the “robbed class” (everyday working families). “The robber class doesn’t exist to help the robbed class, and until we use our economic power, it won’t stop,” she said. “The only thing that’s going to change this country is another revolution.”
After placing Obama in the robber class, Sheehan directly addressed the new president. “President Obama,” she began, “you said Afghanistan was a good war, but you know what? That’s bull—. There are no good wars.”
Next a group of high school students spoke on behalf of the Education on Arms Coalition. More than a year ago, shooting ranges were installed at some San Diego schools, including Lincoln, which the speakers attended. After a yearlong fight to get on the agenda, students and faculty were finally heard by the San Diego School Board. The shooting ranges are being removed from the campuses.
“There is a perception that everyone is looking out for their own best interest,” said Larry Christian, a member of the San Diego Coalition for Peace and Justice since 2001 and master of ceremonies for the day’s event. “What’s true is that everyone’s lives are affected [by the wars] in fundamental ways. ... At some point it’s inescapable.”
“If you look at the newspapers these days, you can’t even tell these wars are going on. There’s an unwritten sense that the war is over,” Christian said. He talked about how the San Diego Union Tribune moved the war stories from the cover to a designated “war page” on the back page of the paper (arguably a high-profile spot).
“The hallmark of journalism is to evaluate,” Christian said. He went on to argue that the press has abdicated its responsibility. “They report what they’re told,” he said. “And that’s not their job.”
Asked what message he’d like to send college students, Christian paused for a moment before saying, “All of us—college students especially—have to recognize the role we play. From the lowliest taxpayer to the commander in chief, we all must play our part. The first thing we do is take a stand. The second thing we do is act on that stand. As soon as we do that, we can make a difference.”
The National Herald > Front Page
March Madness
Cindy Sheehan headlines local antiwar protest on sixth anniversary of Iraq occupation.
Published: Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Updated: Saturday, December 5, 2009 09:12
 "Photo:")
The scene at the War Memorial in Balboa Park.
Be the first to comment on this article!