An Opportunity to Build an Anti-War Movement and End the Iraq War

author : Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace | Peter Bohmer topic : Iraq occupation

by Peter Bohmer, member of Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace (OMJP)

On Friday, September 23rd , The Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace(OMJP) invites you to join us in an 18 mile walk from Sylvester Park in downtown Olympia all the way to Ft. Lewis. The purpose of this march for peace is to make a strong and visible stand against the U.S. war and to build a movement calling for the withdrawal of the United States from Iraq. We believe that the time is ripe to connect the growing anti-Iraq war feelings in the U.S. to visible protest and a growing anti-war movement. We have the opportunity to further isolate the Bush Administration and the neoconservative agenda and lead to a situation where they must withdraw from Iraq and realize they cannot build popular support for another war.

Over the last two years, the support for this war has continued to decline for a variety of reasons including the growing numbers of U.S. casualties, the realization that the war has not made the U.S. people any safer, the continuing resistance in Iraq to the U.S. occupation, the learning about torturing of Iraqis in Abu Graib and other prisons, and the growing realization that there is no light at the end of the tunnel, that the U.S. military occupation of Iraq has no end in sight. On the other hand, the despair caused by Bush's reelection and the commonly held view that the United States should not have gone to war in Iraq but withdrawal would make things worse for the Iraqi people has limited large scale active protest and resistance to the war.

The powerful speaking out by Cindy Sheehan at Camp Casey is Crawford, Texas in the last month about the death of her son in Iraq, the refusal of President Bush to meet with her and her call for immediate withdrawal of the U.S. from Iraq has caught the nation's attention. Not only is she seen sympathetically by millions and millions of people but she and the social movement around her has led to increased interest in examining the war and the case for withdrawal. Part of Cindy Sheehan's appeal is that she is the mother of a dead soldier. It is also that her actions are directly against the war while simultaneously showing compassion and concern for the U.S. troops who are in Iraq or who will be sent there. It is a position that says concern for the troops means calling for an end to the war, not supporting the war, and a critique of the use and effects of depleted uranium and for the psychological and economic problems many of the troops will have when they return. Her position and ours also means concern for all casualties of this war, the more than 100,000 dead Iraqis and the more than 2,000 from the U.S. and other countries.

There are therefore real possibilities at the present time for a large and growing movement in the streets against the war that we can and should be part of. This walk on Friday, September 23rd is part of an international weekend of actions against the war including a demonstration in Seattle on Saturday, September 24th and a Support the Truth teach-in that night at the Capital Theater in Olympia. There will also be a very large demonstration in Washington, D.C.

We have decided to walk in a peaceful and non-confrontational manner for 18 miles to be visible and dramatic, and to show our commitment to take action against this immoral and illegal war. We are going to Ft. Lewis and will rally there, partly because it is an institution directly involved in carrying out the war. We are not going to Ft. Lewis to blame the troops. We are also going to Ft. Lewis is a sincere attempt to dialog with the troops about the war, and to make public by our actions and words that there is a growing anti-war movement that is sympathetic to both U.S. soldiers and the Iraqi people, understands their situation and wants to support U.S. soldiers against the war and in their civilian life.

We will rally at 8:00 A.M., Friday, September 23rd at Sylvester Park in downtown Olympia and then walk to Ft. Lewis 100 strong where we will be met by marchers from Tacoma. In a spirit of non-confrontation and concern for U.S. soldiers, a rally will be held outside the main gate of Ft. Lewis at 6 00 P.M. Please join us!! We need your involvement. To sign up as a marcher, to find out more about this march for peace, to get involved in organizing and supporting it, or to help in any way, call Nikki Miller at 273- 9800 or email her at nikki_miller@yahoo.com.