Peace Facts
compiled by Frieda Gardner and Lisa Ann Pierce, WAMM

In September and October, hundreds of thousands of people marched, shouted, sang, and spoke in opposition to the Bush Administration's plan for war on Iraq. Here are some crowd estimates and dates:

London, September 28: 350,000
New York City, October 5: 20,000
Minneapolis, October 7: 400
St. Paul, October 26: 10,500
Denver, CO, October 26: 2,000
Taos, NM, October 26: 2,000
Washington, D.C., October 26: 200,000
Copenhagen, Denmark, October 26: 1,500
Stockholm, Sweden, October 26: 1,000
Cities in Germany, October 26: 10,000

According to Amy Goodman of “Democracy Now!” (October 9, 2002), mainstream media in the U. S. have consistently buried news of these protests and reported police rather than reporter or civilian estimates of participant numbers. Goodman tracked the huge numbers of calls and letters opposing the resolution for war on Iraq received at the offices of U.S. senators and representatives. Some staff reported 100 "against" contacts for every call or letter expressing support for the war.

Meanwhile, the Tikkun Campus Network has launched plans for a national nonviolent campus strike to take place if and when the war against Iraq begins. They are urging student groups to shut down campuses in order to stage massive teach-ins on nonviolent solutions. They are further committed to send a message to Ariel Sharon lest he “use this war as cover for further oppression of the Palestinian people” (The Nation, October 21, 2002).