Thousands Protest 6th Anniv. Of Iraq War

(AP)  Before war protesters ended their demonstration Saturday afternoon, several placed cardboard coffins in front of the offices of northern Virginia defense contractors such as KBR Inc. and Lockheed Martin Corp. as riot police stood by.

"Lockheed Martin you can't hide, we charge you with genocide!" they chanted as part of a demonstration that began in Washington to mark the sixth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.

Arlington County, Virginia, authorities estimated there were 2,500 to 3,000 protesters.

Organizers from the ANSWER Coalition said more than 1,000 groups sponsored the protest to call for an end to the Iraq war. Carrying signs saying "We need jobs and schools, not war" and "Indict Bush," demonstrators beat drums and played trumpets as they marched from near the Lincoln Memorial past the Pentagon into Virginia.

Meanwhile, at a similar protest in San Francisco, tension grew after four or five dozen activists surrounded a group of riot-equipped police, throwing sticks and water bottles. Police responded by regrouping in riot formation and physically detaining several protesters who pushed and shoved with officers.

Protest leaders shouted from the stage, urging police to leave. Barriers were quickly erected between police and protesters as an organizer urged calm and the activists started to disperse.

In Washington, protesters demanded that President Barack Obama immediately withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq, saying thousands of Iraqis have died and thousands of American troops have been wounded or killed.

"We think it's especially important for this new administration to feel the pressure from people that we don't want more war," said Obama supporter Pat Halle, 59, of Baltimore.

Anti-war activists said even though former President George W. Bush is out of power, they are disappointed with what they see as stalled action from Obama.

"Obama seems to be led somewhat by the bureaucracies. I want him to follow up on his promise to end the war," said 66-year-old Perry Parks of Rockingham, North Carolina, who said he served in the Army for nearly 30 years, including in Vietnam.

Obama has said he plans to withdraw roughly 100,000 troops by summer 2010. He promises to pull the last of the U.S. troops by the end of 2011, in accordance with a deal Iraqis signed with Bush.

There were about 138,000 troops in Iraq as of March 13.

In southern California, hundreds of protesters gathered in Hollywood. Among them were peace advocate Cindy Sheehan - whose son was killed in Iraq - Oscar-winning screenwriter Paul Haggis and Ron Kovic, a paralyzed Vietnam veteran whose story was chronicled in the book and film "Born on the Fourth of July."

Protesters in Los Angeles were expected to follow a rally with a march and then a symbolic "die in" where they would lie down in a major Hollywood Boulevard intersection to symbolize the soldiers who have died in the war.

Protesters waved signs and sold bumper stickers and T-shirts commemorating the event.

Denise Clendenning, 51, an environmental scientist from Chino Hills, California, said she hopes Obama will rethink his strategy to withdraw most of the troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and call all of them back instead.

"We all have a lot of confidence in him," she said, holding two signs that read "Out of Iraq" and "End the War."

In Washington, U.S. Park Police said no arrests were made. However, there sometimes was commotion among activists.

At one point during the demonstration in Virginia, some taunted police while others urged their fellow protesters not to bother authorities. Some protesters then began arguing among themselves.

This year, the protest in Washington was held on a weekend - a few days after the March 19 anniversary of the war, which began in 2003. Last year's weekday protest was marked by lower turnout than in previous years.

[Decazz]

Although the war was a mistake, pulling troops out of iraq at the present time would be disasterous for the already devestated country and the entire region..

[aziridine]

All you bush/chaney fans what to do is kill and send our youth to their deaths. Posted by woodjd42
__________________________________________________________________

Yep and now Obama is sending them. Obama's is paying Halliburton handsomely too!!! Wait til the kids get up in the Afghan mountains is "Obama's War". Whoo-Wee talk about a blood bath. Obama is a warmonger. The "3million jobs Obama will create or save" will be infantry jobs. Go Warbama!!!

[aziridine]

This is hilarious. Even with Obama's bigger an longer war we dn;t see anything like the 100s of thousands of protesters that we did during the previous administration. If it's a democrat war it's FINE with these folks. Halliburton is smiling, they'll keep getting paid by their buddy Obama!

[Aldymac]

Protestors are the reason this war has lasted six years, just like Viet Nam, it was the protestors who have kept it going. OBL kept telling his people, "remember Viet Nam", just like the North Viet Namese, they knew that if the protestors gained the upper hand they would win. Well, they didn't win in Iraq, no thanks to the protestors. BUT, a lot more Americans are dead because of them, how many Americans do these protestors like to credit as being killed, due to their efforts?
The NVA were totally defeated after the Tet offensive of 1968, Giap even wrote those words in his memiores on display in Hanoi. But he was still confident in the protestors, and they pulled it off for him.
Thousands of Americans were killed because of the efforts of the News media and the protestors, They are proud of what they do or they would not do it. When I returned home from Nam I was spit at, called a baby killer and numerous other names, I lost several buddies in Nam, I still credit their deaths to the media and protestors.
I, as a former Marine salute our young men and women in arms who aren't afraid of stepping up to the plate to defend our freedom where ever we have to go to do so. They know whose side they are on in any conflict this country is involved in, its to bad the protestors and their liberal pals don't.

[hamiltongrad]

Power to the People. Iraq is free . Bush = JFK

[johnhkennedy]

There was no doubt that 9-11, like Pearl Harbor, needed to be avenged,
but Bush had another agenda.

Bush, Cheney, and appointees lied about WMD, aluminum tubes, and Niger Uranium to con Congress into approving an invasion of Iraq, a country that did not have anything to do with 9-11.

In WW-II, in 4 years, FDR put 13,000,000 men in the fight, beat 3 dictatorships, their leaders dead at the end.

After 7 years of War On Terror, neither Bush nor Cheney could find Osama Bin Laden, our US reputation is in the gutter, we're still at war, over 4,200 US Soldiers are dead, over 30,000 maimed for the Bush-Cheney arrogance and lies. They ordered Torture, a violation of Federal Law.

If we as a people hope to force our public officials to obey our laws and our Constitution,
the time is Now
and the way to do it is
to prosecute members of the Bush administration
who violated Federal Laws,
including the law against Torturing prisoners.

The reason that we continue to have unnecessary wars of choice is
that our Congress makes excuses for lawbreaking officials instead of impeaching or prosecuting them.

Unless Obama's statement that ?no one is above the law? is a lie,
Obama must appoint a Special Prosecutor for Bush, Cheney and the appointee lawyers that advocated Torture, violated many Federal Laws, our Constitution & the Geneva Convention on Torture.


Sign The Petition To Prosecute them at ANGRYVoters DOT org

http://ANGRYVoters.org


Over 63,000 have signed

Join Them!

.

[woodjd42]

Here we go again, the Democrats which are made of welfare recipients and gays are protesting again. Don't worry, communist dictator Obama is operating from stand of weakness so we'll have another terrorist attack within our borders to the lack of "her" leadership. I call Obama her because he has no gonads unless Pelosi lends him hers.
Posted by dongo3

What an idiot!!!
All you bush/chaney fans what to do is kill and send our youth to their deaths. Most of you idiots don't have the balls youself to go into combat and have no idea what it is like to be in combat but you don't mind sending our kids off to die for a lie. I am amazed at how you talk about morals and all but you don't have any. I'm really tiered of you mocho punks that talk so tough but would run from your own shodow.

[sezmew]

AIG should relocate their corporate to a community that will appreciate the jobs that AIG offers to its citizens. the city could have taken measures to facillitate the AIG personnels' safety during this intrusion.

[mje222]

ask our troops what they think,after all they are the ones that will save you a.s. when the time cames! remember the 70?

[cbsblogger]

They should be protesting in front of AIPAC because that's where it all originated.