Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is helping put together the largest Iraq war spending bill yet. The aim appears to be to fund the war for nearly six months into the next president's term to prevent a new Democratic President from having to vote for the war without risking the war actually ending.

On April 28th, Code Pink started a peace vigil on the front porch of Pelosi's house in San Francisco to urge her to not give the President another blank check for the occupation of Iraq. Event Announcement | Photos: 1 | 2 | 3

Progressives Block Pelosi's Blank Check for Iraq | Democrats Okay Funds for Covert Ops | The US and Iraq: Base-less Strategy | Democratic candidates agree on expanded US military aggression in the Middle East | House Democrats work on huge Iraq money bill

Direct Action to Stop the War brought its anti-war focus to May Day actions in San Francisco and Oakland on Thursday, May 1st. Starting at 5:45 a.m. at West Oakland BART, DASW lead a community picket to shut down the Union Pacific rail lines at the Port of Oakland. The march proceeded west down 7th Street to the employee entrances, where DASW urged workers from United Transportation Union Local 239 to join with the ILWU dock workers and the anti-war movement and not cross the picket line.
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

From 12:30-2:30pm, DASW marched from Justin Herman Plaza to protests at the Armed Forces Recruiting Center (670 Davis St. at Broadway, San Francisco) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (630 Sansome St. at Washington St., San Francisco).

DASW also had a contingent at labor and immigrant rights demonstrations: At 10:30am, DASW joined with dockworkers as they marched from their stop-work meeting to a rally. The march departed from Beach St. at Mason St. in San Francisco along the Embarcadero to a 12pm rally at Justin Herman Plaza. At 2:30pm DASW joined with immigrants and their supporters in San Francisco at the immigrant rights rally and march, starting at Dolores Park (18th St. at Dolores) . DASW statement

Direct Action to Stop the War | Indybay's Coverage of the ILWU protest | Indybay's Coverage of Immigrant Rights Demonstrations around California | Some recent coverage of DASW

On May 1, all 29 ports on the U.S. West Coast were shut down by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) in protest against the U.S. war on Afghanistan and Iraq. The Bay Area ILWU local was the first American union to condemn the war. In April 2003, as invading U.S. troops reached Baghdad, six longshoremen were injured and a union official was arrested as police fired on hundreds of antiwar protesters in the port of Oakland.

The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) notified the union on April 3 that it “doesn’t consent to a stop-work meeting or any other effort to disrupt port operations.” Subsequently the PMA threatened union leaders with court action under Taft-Hartley if they don’t call it all off.

Supporters of the ILWU meet in San Francisco at Mason and Beach (in Fishersmans' Wharf) at 10:30 am on May Day. There was then a march to a 12 noon rally in Justin Herman Plaza. more details

Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | US dockworkers' union holds eight-hour work stoppage to protest Iraq war | 25,000 Dockworkers Shut Down West Coast Ports in Historic Anti-War Protest

Read More | Longshoremen will close West Coast ports on May 1 to protest war | Grandlake Theater Marquee | Vermont AFL-CIO Calls on Workers to Support Work Stoppage | ILWU May Day Site

Past Indybay ILWU Coverage: 2007 Anti-War Dock Protests | Rallies Related to 2003 Oakland Anti-War Dock Protests | 2002 Lock-Out | 2002 Contract Issues | ILWU Refuses To Unload Italian Ship After G8 Protester Killed in Italy

Santa Cruz resident Matt Childers, a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War, testified at the Winter Soldier hearings held last month in Silver Springs, Maryland. Matt served two deployments to Iraq as an infantryman with the U.S. Marines. Originally from West Virginia, he now makes his home in Santa Cruz and is a student at Cabrillo College. His testimony was given as part of a panel on racism and dehumanization of the enemy in Iraq. Video and audio of that panel is available in its entirety at IVAW.org and warcomeshome.org. Read and Listen to Matt's Testimony

see also: Cost of the Iraq War

The 4,000th US soldier was killed in Iraq on March 23rd. People United for Peace (PUP) in Santa Cruz County called for a vigil and action at the Military Recruiting Center in Capitola on March 24th to express grief at so many senseless deaths of US soldiers and Iraqis. PUP is a local affiliation of peace and social justice advocates and activists, organizing vigils, actions, and other events in the Santa Cruz County area on an ad hoc basis. The coalition calls for an immediate end to the killing and occupation in Iraq. Report | Photos

CodePink shut down the Marine Recruiting Station in Berkeley by conducting street theater as a direct action inside the building. Photos. In San Francisco, a vigil took place at Civic Center Plaza. There was also a vigil at Windows on the Bay in Monterey.

Five Years Too Many | NoArmy.com, The Truth Recruiters Don't Want You To Know

The Army recruitment site GoArmy.com is one of the most heavily advertised web sites on the planet. It's a slick marketing effort to make enlisting look like the perfect job opportunity: a stable, safe way to make money and serve America. Of course, there's a lot about the Army that isn't mentioned on GoArmy.com. From the Iraq War to human rights abuses to the stop-loss policy, the official recruitment website is strangely silent.

On March 19th, NoArmy.com was launched to clear up confusion about the Army and commemorate the 5th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. It's an unauthorized remixed version of the recruitment site which presents the facts missing in the Army sales pitch, and shows potential recruits what they can really expect if they enlist.

The battle to shut down the Marine recruiting station in Berkeley continued on March 19th, the fifth anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. Hundreds, including many Berkeley High school students, took part in actions during the day to shut down the recruiting station in Berkeley and to stop the war in Iraq. Several students spoke powerfully to why the marine recruiters should be considered "unwelcome intruders" in Berkeley, pointing out that the marine's "freedom" to lie to people and recruit them into an immoral and unjust war is in contradiction to the freedom of the Iraqi people to be free of U.S. occupation.

Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | Previous Coverage of Berkeley Recruiting Protests

March 19th saw a revival of the direct action movement in the Bay Area. Independent media activists came together to broadcast a radio station and DASW had a webcam broadcasting video. Volunteers provided legal assistance. Affinity groups came back together for another day in the streets, putting their bodies on the line to remind the world that torture has been a way of life for the Bush administration. Bike contingents and snake marches wove in and out of crowds, providing assistance to protesters and facing an equal risk of arrest. The police responded by swiftly arresting approximately 150 people- including protesters and media-- at several sites. Four Codepink protesters were detained after allegedly hanging a banner from the Golden Gate Bridge, while paintballs were anonymously thrown at several corporate targets.

Police had amassed before 7:00am near some key intersections. At 7:09am, it was reported that the Federal Reserve building at 101 Market had been shut down by a lockdown. At UCSF Mission Bay, protesters set out to shut down the UC Regents' meeting with a lockdown and an Alternate Regents' meeting. Police busted the lockdown and started arresting participants by 7:30am. 345 California, home of Chevron Energy Solutions, was another site of a lockdown and some ten arrests. Chevron closed business for the day.

At 10am, a die-in at 3rd and Market street took up all lanes and Market street was completely blocked. Police moved in and 27 people were arrested. Around noon, 100 protesters engaged in a second die-in at Montgomery and Market Streets, stopping all traffic for about two hours. At 3pm, Codepink, Raging Grannies Action League, and some black blockers converged on the recruitment center on Davis.

By 5pm, approximately 165 people had been arrested in various direct actions across the city.

In the evening, there was a rally and march starting from Civic Center. Several thousand people listened to speakers and took to the streets to protest the war.

Video: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
Audio
Individual Photo Posts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28
M19 Photo Gallery
Reports: 1 | 2 | 3
Legal Updates: 1 | 2 | 3

Archived Breaking News

Wednesday, March 19th, 2008 marks the five-year anniversary of the beginning of the US war and occupation of Iraq. Events will be held all over the United States to observe and protest the ongoing war and its environmental, societal, and financial tolls. The Iraq war is the second longest in U.S. history. It has killed more than one million Iraqis and 4,000 U.S. troops. The cost of the war is now running at more than $400 million per day, nearly $5,000 per second.

ANSWER has called for a march and rally to begin at Civic Center Plaza at 5pm on the 19th. There will be direct actions throughout the day in downtown San Francisco. A Speak-Out to End the War will take place in front of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library at 150 E. San Fernando St. in San Jose from 4pm to 6pm. A protest to demand Salvadoran troops out of Iraq will start at 12:00pm outside of the Salvadoran Consulate, next to the Federal Building in San Francisco. Protesters will commemorate and mourn the Iraq War at 7pm at the Town Clock in Santa Cruz. Indybay and DASW Radio 102.5 will be accepting live reports on Wednesday. Moveon.org has called for vigils to be held in cities and towns all over the country. United for Peace and Justice has called for demonstrations in Washington, DC, and throughout the country.

Events prior to March 19th: On Friday, March 14th, students held a Week Against War rally on the UC Santa Cruz campus at 3pm. Dance Brigade presented A Storm of Roses: Women Against the War on Friday night in San Francisco. On Saturday, March 15th, in Richmond, DASW led a direct action and rally at the Chevron Refinery. In Chico, a peace rally and puppet pageant took place on March 15th, focusing on "what we do want, as we already know what we don't want." In Walnut Creek, protesters held a Surge for Peace: Photos There was a rally in Palo Alto on Saturday: Photos There was a Rally in the Valley in Fresno that afternoon: Photos. The Big Peace March gathered in San Rafael at noon on Saturday. 10,000 protested in Los Angeles on March 15th. On the 19th, there will be a protest at the Hollywood military recruitment center on the corner of Hollywood Blvd. and La Brea. Also on Saturday, there was a March Against the 5th Anniversary of the Iraq War in San Diego. Protests at the Marine Recruiting Station in Berkeley are ongoing: 3/13| 3/14 | 3/19 A community gathering to celebrate resistance to war was held on Sunday, March 16th in MLK Park in Berkeley. Sean Penn and Cindy Sheehan were scheduled to speak at a peace vigil in SF on March 16th.

Direct Action to Stop the War on March 15th and 19th | UCSC Week Against War March 10th-14th | Anti-Authoritarian Call to Action on March 19th | People Power in Ohio Stopped A War In Iraq Ten Years Ago. That Same Power Can Get the US Out Of Iraq Now. by Bill Simpich | World Against War global listing of protests

The Sixth Annual Rally in the Valley for Peace and Justice ... Now! was organized by Peace Fresno. Shortly before the event Scott Key, Peace Fresno president, said "once more we will Rally to insist that enough is enough. We must stop the immoral and unjust Occupation of Iraq. We must stop the immoral, unjust, and senseless killing of more than a million Iraqis and of more than four thousand of our own troops. We must stop spending $1 trillion plus per year on war and preparing for war and on subsidizing the wealthy corporations that support this military killing machine. As a nation, we must take the lead in establishing peace and justice for all, both nationally and globally."

Speakers at the Rally included Eli Paintedcrow, Native American and 22 year Army veteran who served in Iraq; the Rev. Bryan Jessup, Minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno; Gloria Hernandez, Comite No Nos Vamos, and Scott Key, President of Peace Fresno. Music was supplied by the Raging Grannies, Frank Moschella, Uncle Bill Warner, and "The Collective", a group of local high school and college musicians.

Photos

On Saturday March 15th, activists and community members protested the war in Iraq, environmental racism and global warming by blockading the Chevron oil refinery in Richmond, CA. A coalition which includes health, environmental and anti-war organizers had called for people to shut down the Chevron refinery for the day in support of community efforts to stop Chevron from expanding its Richmond refinery. An expansion will increase pollution and cause asthma, cancer and rising death rates in surrounding communities.

Chevron was shut down all day in anticipation of the protest. Protesters marched to one of the main gates of the refinery and people laid out lock down tubes and barrels and up to 50 people locked themselves down. Bands played, and there was street theater and food. The police had the entrance blocked with barricades. After several hours, the lockdown was ended. Protesters held a circle gathering then quickly moved the barricades and went toward Chevron. Police were startled but formed a line and people sat down. Other people took down the rest of the barricade and put it out in the intersection to keep the street closed. People sat in front of the police for several more hours. Eventually the police arrested 25 people. Protest organizers say that Chevron is driving the war and occupation in Iraq, refining over a million barrels of stolen Iraqi oil in Richmond a month, and actively lobbying for the privatization of Iraq's oil fields.
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Video: 1 | 2 | Audio

Chevron has a long and highly profitable history with Iraq—one it wants to see significantly expanded. Most recently, Chevron has teamed-up with Total to bid on Iraq’s fourth largest oil field, the Majnoon field. Chevron hopes to produce oil in the field under the terms of the Iraq Oil Law. It has continued regular negotiations with Iraq’s leading government officials in pursuit of the best contract deals possible, while the Bush administration pressures the Iraqis to pass the Iraq Oil Law.

In Richmond, a city with a population of about 100,000, the vast majority of whom are low-income people of color, 17,000 people live within just three miles of the Chevron refinery, including in two public housing projects. Built in 1902, the Chevron Richmond Refinery is one of the oldest and largest refineries operating in the U.S. To refine its capacity of 87.6 million barrels of crude oil per year—240,000 barrels a day—the refinery produces over two million pounds of climate-poisoning, smog-forming and toxic air and water pollutants each year. Event Announcement

see also: Protests During 5th Anniversary of US Bombing and Invasion of Iraq || Previous Coverage: Richmond March Demands Environmental Justice

In 1971, Vietnam veterans held a conference that they called the Winter Soldier Investigation, to speak out about what was really going on in the Vietnam War. 37 years later, Iraq War vets organized their own Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan, at which US veterans testified about their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. They presented video and photographic evidence as part of their testimony. The conference took place from March 13th through 16th in Washington, D.C.. Panels of scholars, veterans, journalists, and others presented about a variety of topics, from the history of GI resistance to the fight for veterans' health benefits and support.

Photos from when Vietnam vets from Portland stopped in Fresno on the way to Winter Soldier. They had previously visited Sacramento. Their next stop was Albuquerque, New Mexico, 750 miles from Fresno, where they planned to give a presentation at a dinner on March 7th before continuing eastward. KPFA radio suspended regular programming to broadcast Winter Soldier during the weekend.

More ways to watch and listen to Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan | Squadron 13 Aviation Museum | Peace Fresno | Iraq Vets Against the War | War Comes Home's archives, photos, and reports about Winter Soldier | Winter Soldier: The Film

In the past week, Israel has mounted a massive offensive against the Gaza Strip. The attacks have claiming the lives of over 112 Palestinians, including many civilians. The clashes reached a peak on March 1st, when Israel sent in a regiment of ground troops killing 77 Palestinians in two days. According to Gaza health ministry statistics, 22 children were killed and more than 350 people were wounded.

Despite the large number of civilian casualties, Israel says the operation was aimed at rooting out the Palestinian fighters who have been firing homemade rockets at southern Israel. Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal insists that Palestinian rocket attacks are a result of, not the cause of, ongoing Israeli aggressions against the Palestinian people. "They [Israelis] do not want to end the occupation, stop attacks or lift the siege. What do people expect the Palestinians to do," Meshaal told a press conference in the Syrian capital Damascus.

On Monday March 4rd, Israel began to pull ground troops from Gaza, but Israeli aircraft continue to carry out bombing raids. The lull in fighting is perhaps due to a visit by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Tuesday. Monday Rice called for "talks" but refuses to call for a cease-fire. A senior Israeli official told Reuters “This very limited (Gaza) operation was intended to show Hamas what could happen, what you may call a "prequel”. He went on to say “If they continue to fire the rockets, then there will be more operations like this one or worse.”

The Israeli assault has drawn worldwide protests for excessive use of force. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has formally suspended contacts with Israel. In Berlin, Germany's Foreign Minister insisted that Israel "must preserve the principle of proportionateness." United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also issued a condemnation of what he termed Israel's "excessive and disproportionate" response and called on Israel "to cease such attacks". Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the IDF attacks can have no humanitarian justification and added that Israel was rejecting a diplomatic solution to the dispute. Saudi Arabia called on the international community to stop the "mass killings" of Palestinians. In Egypt, thousands of students held protests at universities across the country calling on Arab leaders to stop Israeli aggression and support the Palestinians. In Lebanon, several hundred school children from 20 schools took part in a Hezbollah-organized demonstration outside UN headquarters in Beirut. In Syria, tens of thousands filled the central square of Damascus to protest ongoing Israeli attacks.

On March 3rd, Students for Justice in Palestine staged a die-in in Berkeley to protest Israel's actions.
Photos | Event Announcement

Israel mounts bloody offensive against Gaza | Over 112 Palestinians Killed in Five-Day Israeli Attack | US and Arab states clash at UN Security Council | Wounded Gazans Left to Die | UN Fails Gaza Children, Again | Killed in Cradle | Hamas claims Gaza 'victory' as troops pull back | PA suspends peace talks with Israel over Gaza violence | Gaza raids met by loud silence from the Arab world | Israel kills at least 31 Gazans today, including 8 children | All-out assault on Gaza looms as 54 die in Israeli incursion | End Aggressions, Rockets Stop: Meshaal | Israeli minister threatens "shoah" against Palestinians in Gaza | Third Intifada in sight | The Gaza Bombshell: Crisis Made in USA | Gaza a stain on world’s conscience | HRW: Gaza Strip/Israel: Civilians Bear Brunt of Attacks | Israel ignores peace