Feature Archives

11/1: Activists staged a "die-in" at the Colombian consulate in San Francisco on 10/30 in protest of Plan Colombia and US intervention in Colombia. Four demonstrators were arrested after they blocked the building's entrances, hoping to call attention to the paramilitary death squads that the $1.3 billion plan would likely fund, though the US and Colombian government's public relations flaks are working overtime to disguise under the banner of the "War on Terrorism." Video & report | IMC Colombia | ZNet's Colombia Watch | Chomsky interview | Narconews | Colombian Labor Monitor

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of San Francisco on October 26 to demand an end to Bush's wars. Estimates of the crowd size varied from forty thousand to over one hundred thousand.

After the main march to City Hall, an unpermitted break-away march continued the resistance in the streets while blaring music from the Coup on a mobile soundsystem.

An anti-war march with over 100,000 took place Saturday in Washington, DC and demonstrations were also held in Berlin, Rotterdam, Belgium, Barcelona and several cities in Italy. Smaller anti-war Protests also took place all over the world and closer to home, several hundred protesters marched in Fresno:   1 2

Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Audio: 1 2   |   Video: 1 2 3   |   Reports   1 2 3 4 5

On 10/6, the anniversary eve of the bombing of Afghanistan, Not In Our Name organized nationwide protests against the "war on the world", detentions and police state restrictions. Thousands joined the mass action that was held at Union Square, SF to remember Afghanistan and stop in its tracks an imperialistic war on the people of Iraq. NION's Pledge of Resistance (video) calls for resistance against the blood-for-oil mantra and US policies of racism, repression, and collateral damage. PSAs: 1 | 2 | 3 Support Xichotl, a NION activist arrested at a Berkeley protest in April and now charged with misdemeanor "battery against a police officer." Interview with Xichotl (realaudio). Photos from NION peace vigil on 9/10. Photos from 10/6: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Watch a video from 10/6

10/16: Students and community converged on UC Berkeley's Sproul Plaza to say: “We will not be silent. We will not be complicit in the UC's funding of the Apartheid State of Israel, and we will not be complicit in the UC's persecution of students and community members who exercise their rights of free speech and free assembly to criticize the policies of the Israeli government.” Specifically, protestors demanded that charges be dropped against the Wheeler 32, the 32 students who sat-in to demand divestment from Israel, and immediate divestment from Israel. Details 9/28: Joining hundreds of thousands in London and dozens of other cities around the world, thousands of San Franciscans came out to support Palestine and call for a US regime change. Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Video | Israel IMC | Palestine IMC

Early 10/11, hundreds of demonstrators blockaded and shut down the federal building in San Francisco as anger, frustration, and dissent against the impending war on Iraq and the world grows. Forty-six were arrested as the protesters' nonviolent civil disobedience was met with attacks from militarized riot police, federal employees, and even a Channel 2 cameraman.
More photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 - Video: 1 | 2 | 3 - Audio: 1 - Press Release

An emergency protest was held in San Francisco on 10/10 in immediate opposition to the Congressional approval of a full-scale invasion of Iraq. An estimated 500 people created an encampment outside the Federal Building, and many took part in the action at the federal building. More Photos

9/14: As the Bush Regime sounds its drums of war at the UN, rallies across Northern California today confronted the policies of violence and repression. Fresno: Over 100 protesters marched over 10 miles to deliver letters to their congressional representatives. Photos SF: A combined rally of the ILWU and IAC marched from UN Plaza to Jefferson Square to protest Bush's union-busting and war-mongering. Photos Emergency protests have been called for in San Francisco at the first sign of an escalation in Iraq. The portworkers will be back on the streets on 9/17 to protest an appearance in SF by chief union-buster Elaine Chao. Oakland: Youth speakers and performers led a rally against the military state. "Instead of more police, we want programs that will help us get more jobs and really stop the violence with more opportunities" says AYPAL, a youth organizer. Read more

At the San Franciso rally, police arrested 2 protestors, Jackie Santos and Zulma Oliveras, from the Comite '98, after an incident involving a counter-demonstrator carrying a sign saying "Bomb Bagdad (sic)." Zulma is being held on an outrageous bail of $40,000 on the equally outrageous charge of 2nd degree robbery. Witnesses to the incident are requested to contact the Int'l. ANSWER Coalition office.

"If I wanted to lie, or if we wanted to lie, if we wanted to exaggerate, I wouldn't use my daughter to do so. I could easily buy other people to do it." --Saud Nasir al-Sabah, Kuwait's Ambassador to the United States and Canada

The Iraq Public Diplomacy Group, composed of staff from the upper echelons of the US government, is prepared to lead the charge in the battle for the world's mind and opinion. The group is apparently going to produce anti-Saddam Hussein propaganda and provide "expert" analysis to reporters and journalists in the Middle East. UPI report

None of this should come as a surprise, however, as the first war against Iraq was met with such support in the US at least in part because of the millions spent on PR firm Hill & Knowlton's message-crafting and opinion-molding for the US government. Read excerpt from Toxic Sludge is Good for You - More on Hill & Knowlton - More resources: Iraq Action Coalition | Voices in the Wilderness | Other anti-sanction, anti-war organizations