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| Anti- Iraq War protests on third anniversary of the invasion — March 2006 by Jo Freeman Pages— 1 2
Many groups did their thing on other dates, including a march from Mobile AL to New Orleans LA to demand that the money spent in Iraq should be used to reconstruct the Gulf coast devastated by Katrina. Between March 15 and March 22, over 500 events were held throughout the United States including protests outside Congressional offices, peace marches and rallies, candlelight vigils, die ins, and civil disobedience. The US protests were organized by a variety of anti-war groups, representing different political views, which did not always co-operate. Thus the turn-out in each city generally represented the constituency of the specific group which organized it and not anti-war sentiment in that locale. While most were small, collectively they added up to a very large march – without all the travel. DC actions CodePink, which organizes women for peace, started early. It spent the winter collecting over 100,000 signatures from all over the world on a “Women’s Call for Peace” demanding a withdrawal of all foreign troops, full representaiton of women in the peacemaking process and women’s equality. These were delivered to the U.S. embassies around the world as well as to the White House on March 8, International Women’s Day. A delegation of Iraqi women who were touring the country to talk about how the invasion impacted everyday life in Iraq joined Cindy Shehann and CodePink to deliver the “Call.” After a rally at the Iraq Embassy, 500 marched to the White House.
From in front of the White House they repeated their demands for withdrawal and then tried to deliver a copy of the Call to the West gate.
When no one answered the bell, Medea Benjamin taped it to the gate. The women gathered for a closing circle in front of the White House.
The night before, CodePink introduced the Iraqi visitors at a fundraising event at Foundry Methodist Church in Washington, D.C.
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Throughout March 2006, opponents of the Iraq occupation demonstrated throughout the country and all over the world. Most demonstrations were held the weekend of March 18-19, which was the third anniversary of the invasion. About one thousand people marched in New York, 7,000 in Chicago, 10,000 in San Francisco, 8,000 in L.A, 9,000 in Portland, 2,000 in Pittsburgh and 1,000 in Seattle and Denver. 
