100,000 march against war in Iraq

	March 20 anti-war rally. Inset, Gary Goff of Local 2627.

Demonstrations against President Bush’s Iraq policies took place throughout the world on March 20, from Madrid to Manhattan. In New York City as many as 100,000 war protesters — including many from DC 37 — marched from East 24th Street to Times Square to listen to a host of singers, poets and speakers.

Among the speakers at the Saturday anti-war rally were Tony Benn, a former member of the British Parliament, former U.S. presidential hopeful Dennis J. Kucinich, (D-Ohio), City Council member Charles Barron and a contingent of local labor leaders, including Local 1930 President Ray Markey and Professional Division Grievance Rep Gary Goff.

“Working people are paying for this war with our blood and the blood of our children,” said Goff. “They say there aren’t any atheists in foxholes. You won’t find any business executives there either.”

Across the country, there were similar marches in San Francisco, Fayetteville, N.C. and 250 other cities, said organizers. In Madrid, thousands marched in memory of the 202 persons killed March 11 in a series of commuter train bombings.

One of the New York demonstrators was Vietnam vet Fred D’Amato, who came all the way from Mount Pocono, Pa. His son Christopher, 24, was sent to Iraq last April with the Army Reserves. Mr. D’Amato showed a photo of a sign he had placed on his front lawn. It read: “Support our troops—Impeach Bush.”