9/11/2004: At the end of the week in which the number of American soldiers killed during hostilities in Iraq reached and even passed 1000, the Power to the Peaceful Festival provided a welcome day of rest and celebration of the anti-war movement for tens of thousands who attended this Saturday as we head into the election season.

Over 20,000 people jammed Speedway Meadows in Golden Gate Park yesterday for the 6th annual “911 Power to the Peaceful Festival” presented by Michael Franti of Spearhead. Live performances by Spearhead, String Cheese Incident, Gift of Gab, John Butler Trio, and Xavier Rudd had folks dancing between alternating sunshine and fog. Amy Goodman, Medea Benjamin, Mario Africa, Barbara Lubin, Dennis Kucinich, and a host of Youth Speaks! poets kept things flowing between sets. Despite a 45-minute interruption in the show due to a blown power generator, folks seemed to enjoy the afternoon, check out the dozens of community organizations and “peace/green vendors”, and just hang out—who could complain for a free show? Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Other local events commemorating September 11th and the over 1000 US soldiers killed in Iraq