A Father’s March for Peace from Tijuana through California

A Father’s March for Peace from Tijuana through California
By: LiAnn Ishizuka, Ivette Lopez,and Mark Hernadez

Sounds of protestors could be heard from the march of some thirty students and adults from high schools and peace organizations throughout Downtown Fresno, Friday, March 24. High schoolers from Dinuba High School and seven local Fresno organizations joined activist and father of a fallen marine, Fernando Suarez Del Solar to rally against the war in Iraq. Having traveled nearly 190 miles since arriving in Fresno, Solar, and other activists are determined to peacefully have their voices heard.


Stemming from a coalition consisting of Solar, and ex-soldiers Pablo Paredes, Camilo Mejia and Aidan Delgado, the four men mapped out and planned the 241 mile march starting in Tijuana, Mexico just fifteen days before their stop in the Central Valley.


Fernando Suarez Del Solar’s son was one of the first Latino Americans to die in Iraq. Solar was misinformed and lied to about his son’s death, until finding the truth in Iraq with help from recent victim of the war, co-anchor of ABC’s World News Tonight, Bob Woodruff. According to reports, the deceased son, Jesus Suarez Del Solar stepped on an illegal US cluster bomb seven days into the invasion of Iraq in 2003.


In an interview with father Solar, he hopes “more than anything to bring the message of peace and education to others.”


The entire march has passed through cities including: San Diego, Escondido, Camp Pendleton, Los Angeles, San Jose, and culminating in San Francisco.


A service was held on Monday March 27 (third year anniversary of Jesus Suarez Del Solar’s death), after completing the final leg of the march with an estimated 3,000 protestors walking throughout the Bay Area’s Mission District.


The stay in Fresno included a three-legged peace route gathered at the corner of Chestnut and Butler towards west Fresno, past the gates of Edison High School, and ending north at the Office of Representative Radanavich.

Lupe Lujan a respiratory therapist volunteered to march and help the other protestors in their journey to San Francisco. Lujan states, “My contribution to this march is taking care of peoples’ feet, to have a safe journey to San Francisco.”

In the second leg of the march, protestors rallied through the Fulton Mall in Downtown Fresno and made a visit to the local congress representatives, including Jim Costa. There, Solar and Pablo Paredes dropped off letters asking for the congressmen’s stance on the war and their proposed action for peace. Solar and Paredes are giving the elected representatives thirty days to reply.

The efforts for reform are predicted to be an ongoing battle as Solar and other members make preparations for future protests.

According to Solar, “It is important to stop this war, but possible to stop future wars.”


The support from local residents as well as other communities has had an impact on various leaders of the movement. Protester Juan Del Rio was astonished at the fact that close to 2,500 people came out to support the cause in Watsonville and close to 3,000 people came out in San Francisco.


“We never expected this much support. This is beyond our expectations,” Rio exclaimed.

As the march progressed through California, the organization count continued to increase. Organizations which participated on March 24 included the National Action Network (NAN) an organization founded in 1991 to empower people by extending voter education and confronting violation of human rights, PEACE, Justice For All, a criminal justice reform organization founded to protect the lives and property of citizens, Peace Fresno, an organization for social justice and alternatives to war, American Service Committee (ASC), an organization of various faiths committed to peace and humanitarian service, and CODE Pink for Peace, a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end the war in Iraq, stop new wars, and redirect our resources into healthcare, education and other life-affirming activities.

Yasmin Viney a Native of Fresno and NAN activist openly expressed her opposition to the war. She feels America has been wronged and the time is now to fight for her rights, and the rights of her country.

Organization members have come together to demand change and revolution.

Reverend Harris a NAN member states, “I feel if all people unite and protest against the war and promote peace and anti-poverty, we [Americans] will become stronger as one. We deserve a right to peace, and do not want our sons and daughters dying for no reason.

The entire march began March 12 to commemorate the 76th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent Salt March in the pursuit of social justice against British imperialism. Gandhi marched 241 miles and his legacy has been noted to be vibrant in all Latino Social Justice movements. Peredes and Solar agree that both wish to put Gandhi’s spirit into practice rather than wait for the next milestone to honor his memory.

Solar’s “March for Peace” is planned to be an ongoing yearly event in California. There are plans, however, to make small local protests in San Diego and in Fresno. For more information on protests, donations or protest leaders, visit the March for Peace website at http://www.guerreroazteca.org.