Anti- Iraq War protests on second anniversary of invasion -- March 19, 2005

Browse photos from Fayetteville, NC, home of Ft. Bragg

On March 19, 2005, the second anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, opponents demonstrated in 765 towns and cities all over the US. and in several foreign countries as well. The largest demonstrations were in San Francisco and Los Angeles, which drew about 20,000 each. Only 10,000 came for several different actions in New York City, which has been the site of numerous anti-war protests, and 5,000 in Chicago, which has not. While turnout in the large cities was low compared with past anti-war demonstrations, the reported turnout in the small towns and cities was several times that of previous protests and they happened in places where any public protests are rare.

Opponents of the Iraq occupation also marched in Istanbul, Cairo, Athens, Stockholm, Rome, Seoul, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Sao Paulo, Oslo, Warsaw, and cities in many other countries. Close to 100,000 people took to the streets in London. Great Britain had 8600 troops in Iraq, the largest contingent after the 150,000 US forces. About a thousand demonstrators turned out in several different Australian cities, which had roughly a thousand troops in Iraq.

Organizing of these protests has been largely split between two groups with very different politics, structures and strategies. A.N.S.W.E.R. organized the first march against the coming invasion of Iraq on October 26, 2002It was soon surpassed by United for Peace and Justice, which was organized only the day before at a meeting of representatives from 55 different organizations. UfPJ has organized the big demonstrations that have occurred since then, including the massive march right before the Republican Convention on August 29, 2004. Although it calls itself a coalition, A.N.S.W.E.R. is controlled by a centralized, left-wing, political party (the Party for Socialism and Liberation , which split from the Workers World Party in 2004). UfPJ is a network of independent, local organizations, which often forms coalitions with other groups for its actions.

A.N.S.W.E.R. had more signs than people at the Fayetteville march

A.N.S.W.E.R. initiated the second anniversary demonstrations, but UfPJ encouraged its many local organizations to hold their own. In particular UfPJ urged protestors on the east coast to gather in Fayetteville, North Carolina, home of Ft. Bragg and the Army's 82nd Airborne Division and the Special Forces Command, to demonstrate against the war.

The 5,000 people who came from several neighboring states to Fayetteville was three times the number who had demonstrated in this military town the previous year. Reflecting the importance of the military to the area, prominent among the marchers and the speakers were representatives from Military Families Speak Out, Veterans for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and Gold Star Families for Peace. Viet Nam vets were also present.

Buses arrived well before the initial rally in a parking lot at the County Health Center. There protestors assembled cardboard coffins and covered them with American Flags. These symbols of the cost of war have become a prominent part of the many anti-Iraq War protests.

After some entertainment and a few speakers, demonstrators marched about a mile to Rowan Street Park for a three hour rally. The streets were largely quiet with no observers until the end of the march, where two dozen counter-protestors vociferously denounced those who opposed US troops in Iraq.

At police insistence, everyone who entered the Park had to be searched and wanded. All signs with wooden sticks on them were taken away. None of the 135 police officers -- most brought in from neighboring jurisdictions to supplement the local police -- could explain what threat required these precautions, which had not been taken before the morning rally or the march itself.

Police were barely present when the marchers passed the counter-protestors, where a line of red-shirted march volunteers kept the two groups several feet from each other. During the rally, police allowed counter protestors to mount their signs on the other side of the roadway and to use a bullhorn to make catcalls in an unsuccessful attempt to drown out the rally speakers.

While anti-war activists were marching, the 1,520th US soldier died in Iraq. Adding the deaths of non U.S. troops in the two years since the invasion brought the total to 1,700 on that day. By then over 11,000 US soldiers had been wounded in action -- half too severely to return to duty. Estimates of Iraqi civilians killed as a result of the invasion range from 20,000 to 100,000, but no one has an exact count.

Photos from Fayetteville, NC, home of Ft. Bragg

Marchers Gather in a Parking Lot in the Morning         Two men from Georgia military families speak out March volunteers wore red shirts to distinguish themselves

Although the anti Viet Nam War marches were largely populated by the young, the anti Iraq War marches have been multi generational.

Marching Through Fayetteville

Counter Protestors   The vets of Rolling Thunder support MIAs and POWs There were veterans on both sides         Code Pink was a particular target of those who supported the Iraq invasion even though it was barely present at the Fayetteville march.

The Rally in Rowan Park

Flag draped coffins decorate the hills in back of the rally The afternoon stage In the children's tent, teenagers construct sashes. Children carry their banner on stage   The police wouldn't let her wear a mask as part of her statement but beards, dark glasses and headdresses were OK     A long string of quilts bore the names of the dead Signs with sticks were out. Peace Parasols were in