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Indybay Feature

Activists Protest Five Years of War

by Liz Highleyman
Several hundred activists hit the streets on Wednesday, March 19, to protest the fifth anniversary of the war and occupation in Iraq. Direct actions took place throughout the day in downtown San Francisco, including a large die-in and mass arrest on Market Street.
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Protesters gathered at dawn at Market and Sansome Street and soon departed on snake marches throughout the Financial District.

Direct actions, including blockades and lock-downs, took place at several locations, including offices of Chevron, Bechtel, and the local army recruiting station. Bike blocs took off from Justin Hermann Plaza throughout the morning.

At noon, most of the activists regrouped at Market and Montgomery Street outside the offices of Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-SF), to protest her support for the war. The diverse crowd of young and old included members of Direct Action to Stop the War, Code Pink, the Raging Grannies, and many others.

A group of about 50 people conducted a die-in, blocking Market Street traffic for nearly two hours. As the die-in participants were being arrested, another group of 20 activists, chained together and clad in orange jumpsuits and hoods to represent prisoners at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, arrived and also blocked the intersection. All were arrested, the last around 2:30 pm.

In all the day's actions through 5 pm, there were an estimated 150 total arrests. At that time an antiwar rally called by World Can't Wait/ANSWER was taking place at Civic Center, with a march to the Mission scheduled to depart at 6 pm.

§Bike bloc participant asks why they can't use the bike lane
by Liz Highleyman
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§Police drive bike bloc onto the sidewalk
by Liz Highleyman
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§Die-in at Market and Montgomery
by Liz Highleyman
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§Die-in at Market and Montgomery
by Liz Highleyman
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§Die-in at Market and Montgomery
by Liz Highleyman
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§Daniel Ellsberg interviewed prior to his arrest
by Liz Highleyman
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§One of the die-in arrestees
by Liz Highleyman
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§Arrestees being processed
by Liz Highleyman
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§First busload of arrestees is hauled off
by Liz Highleyman
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§Brass Liberation Orchestra keeps spirits high
by Liz Highleyman
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§Overview of the scene at Market and Montgomery
by Liz Highleyman
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§Another of the eventual arrestees
by Liz Highleyman
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§Police out in force
by Liz Highleyman
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§Act Against Torture
by Liz Highleyman
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§Police prepare to arrest anti-torture group
by Liz Highleyman
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§Beanbag rifle goes so well with the jumpsuits...
by Liz Highleyman
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§Anti-torture arrest
by Liz Highleyman
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§Anti-torture group being processed
by Liz Highleyman
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Sunni Ruiz
Fri, Mar 21, 2008 10:38AM
Correction
Thu, Mar 20, 2008 8:36PM
Mario
Thu, Mar 20, 2008 11:23AM
dunno
Thu, Mar 20, 2008 7:58AM
Ilse
Thu, Mar 20, 2008 6:48AM
^
Thu, Mar 20, 2008 2:33AM
Waard
Thu, Mar 20, 2008 12:42AM
response
Wed, Mar 19, 2008 10:44PM
what happened?
Wed, Mar 19, 2008 8:17PM
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