Direct Action to Stop the War organized protests for Tuesday, February 5th, the day California voters go to the polls for the 2008 presidential primary, to demand that Democratic presidential candidates take stronger anti-war positions. Direct Action to Stop the War called into question the "anti-war" credentials of both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Protesters gathered at 5pm on both sides of the Bay-- in San Francisco's U.N. Plaza and in Oakland's Frank Ogawa Plaza. The groups then marched respectively, to Clinton's and Obama's headquarters.
SF Clinton Photos | Oakland Obama Photos
With the theme “Will the Real Peace Candidate Please Stand Up?,” activists hoped to send a strong message to the candidates that they should not take for granted support from the antiwar camp.

“Hillary Clinton still refuses to acknowledge that her vote to authorize war with Iraq in 2002 was wrong,” said DASW member Kate Raphael before the protest. “She has said that the troop surge is working, and gave it a standing ovation during the State of the Union Address. She voted for a resolution threatening military action against Iran.”

“Barack Obama wants to end the war in Iraq only to escalate it in Afghanistan and attack Pakistan,” Vern Nuanez stated. “He recently wrote a letter justifying Israel’s refusal to allow fuel, food and medicine into Gaza, where people are literally starving and freezing to death.”

DASW is looking ahead to actions on March 19th, the 5th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq; as well as a protest at the Chevron refinery in Richmond on March 15th.

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