Granma reports January 18th protests

["Walter Lippmann" <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Massive anti-war protests under preparation in the United
States

Thousands of people from 200 U.S. cities are expected to
participate in demonstrations in Washington and San
Francisco on January 18

BY GABRIELA FLYNN
Special for Granma International

SAN FRANCISCO.- As the Bush administration winds up for Gulf
War Part II against Iraq, average U.S. citizens and
residents are organizing themselves in preparation for a
massive protest march and rally in both Washington DC and
San Francisco set for January 18, accompanied by similar
actions around the world.



International A.N.S.W.E.R (Act Now to Stop War and End
Racism) Coalition is the spearhead organization made up of
worldwide progressive groups opposing the war.

The protest is being called for January 18 in commemoration
with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, and the 12th
anniversary of the first Gulf War.

Similarly, it's the last opportunity for people to express
their anti-war opinion before the January 27th deadline by
which weapons inspectors are due to present their report to
the United Nations. The Bush Administration has already sent
60,000 troops to the Persian Gulf and is currently deploying
another 30,000 in an obvious step towards the brink of war.

The demonstrations have been endorsed by hundreds of groups
and individuals including Ramsey Clark, former U.S. Attorney
General and founder of the International Action Center;
Pastors For Peace and its founder Lucius Walker; political
prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal; the Free Palestine Alliance and
the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo of Argentina, among many
others.

Likewise, similar demonstrations have been called for the
same date in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Egypt,
Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Spain and
the United Kingdom.

Hundreds of people, angered by the lies and propaganda
coming from the current U.S. government, are responding to
calls for volunteers needed to help with the demonstrations'
preparatory tasks.

San Francisco A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition organizer, Nancy
Mitchell, told Granma International that thousands of
workers, students, professionals and families are expected
to travel from 200 cities in 40 states to either Washington
or San Francisco, to voice their anti-war sentiment. A
previous A.N.S.W.E.R. demonstration held on October 26th
drew 200,000 people to Washington and another

100,000 to San Francisco; more are expected to attend the
one on January 18.

"We feel we must do everything we possibly can to stop the
war before it starts. There's a groundswell of opposition to
the war in this country and we're hoping January 18 will be
the next big step in expressing that," Mitchell noted.

The activist added, "We also know Bush intends to carry this
 war out beyond Iraq and we see the anti-war movement as a
long-term process. If this war starts we hope to make it
this government's last."


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