http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0312/ferguson.php New York Will March in the Face of War In Shock and Awe by Sarah Ferguson March 19 - 25, 2003
These people finally get to march through New York, Saturday at noon. (photo: Cary Conover) It's not quite glasnost, but the big chill felt by New York City peace activists appears to be lifting. On Friday, police officials agreed to allow tens of thousands of people to march down Broadway this Saturday, March 22, to oppose war in Iraq. That's a dramatic turnaround from the city's stance last month, when it denied demonstrators permission to parade past the United Nations-or anywhere in the city. Worse, the NYPD blocked access to the permitted stationary rally, confining crowds with metal barricades and making more than 250 arrests. This time, police have agreed to let people assemble freely, without pens. "We've reclaimed our democratic right to march," says Leslie Cagan, co-chair of United for Peace and Justice, which organized the February 15 event. Their win didn't come easy. Organizers say they spent a week haggling with police officials, who at one point wanted to limit the route from 38th Street to Union Square. They were also upset when the NYPD presented plans to cordon off side streets and tightly control the formation of the march. The scheme approved Friday calls for assembling at noon on Broadway, between 35th and 42nd streets, and marching to Washington Square Park. Side streets will be open for contingents to funnel into the start of the march, and organizers have pledged at least 100 volunteer marshals to keep things moving smoothly. City officials downplayed the dispute. "Our concern was not with the route but with the need to fill in the staging area in a safe and orderly way," said Gail Donoghue of the city's law department. Billed as a local event, this march is not expected to draw the 300,000 people who swamped midtown last month. "This is the people of ground zero coming out to say no to an unnecessary military confrontation that will have devastating consequences to the Iraqi people and quite possibly us," says labor organizer Michael Letwin. There will be large blocs of students, labor supporters, theater artists, and a mock funeral procession-but no rally. "We don't need any more speeches," says Letwin. "We're preaching to the choir at this point." Folks are encouraged to bring radios to tune in to WBAI, 99.5 FM, which will give updates on the event. Though activists expect 20,000 to 50,000 participants, the turnout could balloon if the Bush administration launches an attack. Europeans have called for convergences at major cities on the Saturday after war breaks out, and that could mean this weekend. With President Bush issuing ultimatums, many activists are turning to civil disobedience. On Monday, Nobel peace laureate Mairead Maguire and 44 others were arrested for blocking access to the U.S. mission to the United Nations. The protest was part of a nonviolent campaign called by United for Peace and Justice and the Iraq Pledge of Resistance (peacepledge.org), which included 54 arrests outside the Capitol and another 40 outside the British consulate in San Francisco. On Friday, the former president of the Pacific Stock Exchange was arrested with 79 others after a sit-down in San Francisco that snarled rush hour traffic for hours; the next day 157 were caught during a breakaway march downtown. War could bring yet bigger disruptions. In San Francisco, the anarchist-oriented Direct Action to Stop the War (actagainstthewar.org) has posted a "menu" of strategies to "shut down" that city if the U.S. launches an invasion-everything from traffic slowdowns and bike brigades to lockdowns at the offices of defense contractors and oil companies. While that kind of militancy has been slow to jell in New York, frustration is building. "In the last 24 hours, I've had 50 people contact me who say they are willing to be arrested-and most of them are people who say they've never been arrested before," says Brad Simpson, who is helping organize civil disobedience trainings with the War Resisters League. For weeks there's been a call for protesters to assemble in Times Square at 5 p.m. if war begins. Over the weekend, organizers from 25 peace groups made plans for feeder marches to converge there. There was also talk of traffic blockades and sit-ins at congressional offices. Organizers insist Saturday's march will remain peaceful. "We have done everything we can to stop this war," says Cagan, taking a deep breath. "And if war begins, we will do everything we can to stop it." For further details on the March 22 protest, see unitedforpeace.org. As U.S. troops gear up for possible warfare in Iraq, the Voice keeps track of what the president really wants in the Middle East, and why. Letter to the Editor | E-Mail Story | Voice Newsletter Recent stories by Sarah Ferguson * It's On: Where and How to Protest in New York * In Shock and Awe New York Will March in the Face of War - Last month, New York police denied anti-war demonstrators permission to march in the city. This weekend is part two, and the NYPD is changing its tune. Sarah Ferguson finds out how activists won back a democratic right. * When Peace Is a Threat The City Labels Anti-War Marchers a Security Breach - because so many people feel compelled to demonstrate against what they feel is a potentially catastrophic path to war in Iraq, peace activists have been labeled a security threat. * Don't Fence Them In NYC Peace Activists Vow to Face Down Bush's War - On Saturday, thousands will march in New York against war in Iraq. Sarah Ferguson breaks down the logistics-and the various factions of the peace movement. * Students Protest Senator Clinton's Decision to Back Bush's War Plans * A Peace Movement Emerges Tens of Thousands Rally in New York and Other Cities to Say No to War With Iraq * Better Homes and Squatters New York's Outlaw Homesteaders Earn the Right to Stay - Under a recent Bloomberg-approved plan, some 250 squatters will convert their buildings into low-income housing. Sarah Ferguson looks at how a radical movement adapted to the times. * CEO Shakedown - Greg Palast The Best Money Democracy Can Buy: An Investigative Reporter Exposes The Truth About Globalization, Corporate Cons, And High Finance Fraudsters * Inside the Al-Azza Refugee Camp in Bethlehem New York Activists Risk Their Lives to Defend Palestinians * Against The Wall Anti-Corporate Protesters Reassert Their Vocal Presence - Sarah Ferguson reports on anti-WEF protesters on the streets. ------------------------ Yahoo! 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