Antiwar Activists March In Response To Obama's Announcement

Primary tabs

Antiwar activists numbering over 200 once again took to the streets of Rochester, NY to voice their disapproval of continued US involvement in Mideast wars. The march was called in response to President Barack Obama's announcement on December 1 that he was sending 30,000 more US troops to Afghanistan.

The event started with two separate gatherings. The first group began in Washington Square park with Funk the War III. The event featured music, dancing and hula-hooping. It was organized by Students for a Democratic Society. Then a march was planned down Broad Street to meet with the second group who were gathering at the War Memorial.

The gathering at the War Memorial was less festive. It was organized by Progressives in Action, Rochester Against War, the International Socialist Organization, Veterans for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, Declaration of Peace and a number of religious organizations. A poster showed photographs and names of local military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their names were read off. Another poster illustrated the similarities between the Afghanistan and Vietnam wars. One side showed General Westmoreland telling President Lyndon Johnson that we need more troops. The other showed General McChrystal telling President Obama that we need more troops. Both Johnson and Obama were elected on promises to end the wars. Johnson became a one-term President largely for his failure to end the war in Vietnam.

Speakers at the gathering brought out facts ignored by the news media. This is not Obama's first escalation of the Afghan war. Since becoming President, he has already sent over 22,000 troops into Afghanistan. Speaker Roberto Resto spoke on how many of the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq are immigrants who came to the US seeking work. Many of these immigrants who served honorably were promised citizenship, but later deported after their service was completed.

During the rally the organizers received a phone call from Washington DC from Rep Eric Massa. Massa, a US Navy veteran who survived cancer from exposure to depleted uranium, is a vocal critic of US military policy. Technical problems prevented putting the call on audio, but the crowd still shouted out â€œWe love you Eric.â€ Unlike Massa, our other local Representatives Louise Slaughter, Dan Maffei, Chris Lee and Senators Schumer and Gillibrand are either in favor of the escalation or uncommitted. The two groups would later join forces and march to the Federal Building to deliver petitions to their offices.

The cost of the war and proposed escalation have received little discussion. Desperately needed health care reform is being held up in Congress due to concerns about its cost. But where are all these concerned Congresspeople when it comes to the cost of these wars? The cost of the proposed action in Afghanistan is expected to be 2 to 3 times that of the cost of Universal Health Care. We are being sold this war as necessary to protect ourselves from Al Queda, but Afghanistan does not equal Al Queda. Al Queda is a mobile entity. By the time the US Army had invaded Afghanistan, Al Queda had moved on. The caves were empty. Invasion and occupation are not the proper response to or protection from a mobile entity like Al Queda.

Following a performance by the Raging Grannies, the groups converged at the corner of Broad and Exchange Streets for a march to the Federal Building. Rochester Police blocked off streets to let the marchers through. It was lively but peaceful. There were no arrests or injuries. A representative from Slaughter's office came out to accept the petitions. Many of the marchers picked up their banners and marched back up Main Street to Washington Square.

The President is not ending these wars. It's now up to Congress and the people.