U.S. to Host an Unprecedented National March on Washington Against War on Iraq

Several hundred American non-governmental organizations will hold Saturday an unprecedented National March on Washington. Its participants will gather in front of the Capitol to speak against the George Bush Administration's plans to start a war on Iraq.

The March on Washington organizational committee reported that tens of thousands of representatives of different organizations from all States, including public, trade union, church, youth, women's and other ones who speak against the intended force action in Iraq intended to participate in the event.

The international antiwar organization ANSWER (Act Now To Stop War & End Racism!), headed by former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, is coordinating the intended protest rally. Among those willing to express their opinion at the meeting in front of the Capitol will be Hollywood movie stars Jessica Lange, Mike Farrell and a number of other well-known Americans.

The march participants will arrive in Washington by means of specially organized bus and car motorcades from all the Eastern coast of the US, as well as from Southern American States. As of today, 220 US cities plan to dispatch such motorcades to Washington, D.C.

The march organizers also report that along with the antiwar action in Washington, a multi-thousand-people rally against the war with Iraq will be held on the US Western Coast in San Fransisco, California.

The same day demonstrations and protest rallies are planned in the capitals of 32 countries, including Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, Russia, Australia, South Korea, Canada etc. In some countries protest meetings will take place near American military bases.

According to the plans of the March on Washington organizers, in its size the march will outstrip the anti-military action in Washington on October 26 last year, when, according to the Washington police, over 100,000 people came to the American capital to express their protest against the war on Iraq.

Despite the fact that the October action was the biggest antiwar meeting in Washington since the Vietnam war, the leading American TV companies preferred not to cover it then; however, this time the March on Washington organizers are firm in their intention to attract the attention of American media to their large-scale action.

In connection with the forthcoming march, Washington police department head Charles Ramsey told journalists that the Washington police were thoroughly preparing for the event and planned to partly use special civil disorders-fighting units on that day. He expressed the hope that the march would be held calmly with no incidents.