February 15, 2003 – San José was there!

Antiwar banners

By Charlotte Casey, SJPJC Coordinating Council member

Some of you are too young to remember February 15, 2003 when people all over the world marched to try to prevent the illegal and immoral US invasion of Iraq. This photo shows a rally in San José at the Plaza de Caesar Chavez after thousands of us marched from Roosevelt Park on that day.

This year on International Day of Peace, Monday September 21st, you can attend the virtual screening for the North American premiere of a film called We Are Many that commemorates that day.

Since the Friday Peace Vigil at the Federal Building started shortly after September 11, 2001 we had been organizing and protests were held weekly. These protests expanded to the corner of Stevens Creek and Winchester Boulevard for better visibility on weekends. We participated in marches and rallies in San Francisco, Oakland, and Palo Alto.

One highlight of these protests was a cold rainy week in December 2002 when a good-sized group of Santa Clara University students went on hunger strike and occupied the steps of the Federal Building, day and night.

The massive world-wide peace movement failed to stop the U.S. Empire’s march to war. Millions have died and $6.4 trillion dollars have been spent in the so-called “war on terror”. Now more than ever we should incorporate the demands to Defund the Pentagon and Bring Our War Dollars Home into our organizing!

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