San Jose protests 4000 U.S. war dead … and a million Iraqis killed

Just four days after the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Pentagon announced the death of four more U.S. soldiers in Iraq, pushing the total to exactly 4000.

The very next day, Monday, March 24, 2008, San Jose residents responded with two major vigils to mourn the 4000th U.S. soldier to die -- along with as many as a million Iraqis -- and to protest the war moving into its sixth year.

The first vigil, organized by the San Jose Peace and Justice Center, took place in front of the Dr. Martin Luther King Library. Thirty people held up signs that included "4000 dead … who benefits?" and "Iraq. 1 million dead. 4 million refugees. Why?" Passing cars honked in support.

The second vigil was organized by David Ledesma at the corner of Winchester and Stevens Creek Boulevards. It started with people holding signs saying "4000 too many" and "5 years too many." But as dusk turned into darkness, the protest swelled into an evening candlelight vigil with over sixty people. Ledesma, whose brother was killed in the Vietnam war, has been holding weekly Saturday and Sunday vigils at this location ever since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

Dolores Kesterson, whose son Erik was killed in Iraq while serving in the U.S. Army, said that she is tired of coming to these demonstrations but feels she must because the war in Iraq must be ended. Although she was received by President George W. Bush in the White House after Erik's death, she condemned Bush for lying about the reasons for war and sending more young Americans to die there.