This is What Democracy Looks Like

OVER 400 MARCH FOR PEACE IN FRESNO
By Mike Rhodes
March 22, 2003

Peace Fresno has organized continuous anti-war actions since the war in Iraq began. The latest was a march from River Park to Shaw and Blackstone today involving over 400 chanting, sign carrying, and peaceful marchers. The 2 ½ mile march took about 2 hours and awed the traffic on Blackstone. Many motorists waved, flashed peace signs, and honked. A few, predominantly young white males, yelled obscenities.

This march followed a peace rally on Shaw and Blackstone (peace corner) on the night of the invasion, a demonstration at the Federal Building on Thursday, protests at CSUF and another BIG rally on the peace corner on Friday. Protests in Fresno are a part of a huge anti war movement that is building in this country and throughout the world. While the demonstrators in Fresno did not shut down the City like they did in San Francisco they were impressive because of the perception, by many people, of Fresno and the Central Valley as being very conservative.

The Central Valley does have the reputation of being conservative, largely because of the agricultural base and the domination that corporate and large scale agribusiness has on the political process in this region.. But, as the threat of war has become more real the grassroots has mobilized with new peace centers and anti-war groups sprouting up throughout the valley. In addition to Peace Fresno there are groups in Bakersfield, Reedley, Visalia, Merced, Los Banos, Modesto, Stockton, and of course Sacramento.

To find out what actions are planned next, visit the Peace Fresno web site at: http://www.peacefresno.org

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