Tell me what democracy looks like
an article by Bluebird

This was the first line of the chant shouted by a young man into a megaphone along part of the march. And the refrain came back at first from a group of high school students around us, students of all color: "This is what democracy looks like!" The chant was contagious and soon all of us had taken it up, people of all ages walking slowly down Madison Avenue in New York. "Tell me what democracy looks like. We are what democracy looks like!"

We were walking in a sea of people (probably 50,000) with signs of many colors and slogans in the anti-war rally Saturday, March 20 in New York. There was so much creativity. Many of the marchers brought their own signs and banners, expressing their outrage and hope in a thousands ways. I hope some of these signs and banners will be put on the Internet.

People cheered as we heard snatches of speeches on the loudspeakers placed along the route, speeches about Iraq, Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, Palestine, Philippines, families of soldiers, rap music, announcements of rallies elsewhere in the world, Madrid, Rome, Barcelona, Paris, London, San Francisco, Fayetteville North Carolina. (Reuters said there were up to a million peace marchers in Rome).

Our feet were tired, and many of us slept as we rode home from the demonstration. But we were cheered up and fired up to continue working for peace when we get back to our communities. I think back to the demonstrations for civil rights, against Vietnam and for the Nuclear Freeze. We've come a long way, though there is still far to go.

For more information, see the website of United for Peace and Justice.

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The new peace movement
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MARCHES AND PROTESTS

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For some beautiful photos of the New York peace march go to the website of Diane Greene Lent which is referenced on the site of United for Peace and Justice, the coalition that organized the march.

This report was posted on March 24, 2004. The moderator is Tony.

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