The country's largest protests against the U.S.-Israeli assault
More than 45,000 protest across the nation
Over 5,000 in Los Angeles on Aug. 12

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In Los Angeles , more than 5,000 people joined in a spirited march through the busy downtown area to stop the U.S.-Israeli war on Lebanon and Palestine . Thousands of signs, placards and Palestinian, Lebanese and Iraqi flags stretched for several blocks as people chanted “Occupation is a crime, from Lebanon to Palestine !” and “Free, free Palestine , long live Lebanon !” Many protesters came from the Arab and Muslim communities.

Speakers at the Los Angeles rally outside the federal building included Muna Coobtee of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, Nader Abuljebain of the National Council of Arab Americans, Ahmad Azam of the Muslim American Society, Husam Ayloush of the Council on American Islamic Relations, Jim Lafferty of the National Lawyers Guild, Bill Paparian, Green Party Candidate for U.S. Congress, Naji Ali, Project Islamic Hope, Eva Georgia of KPFK, 90.7 FM, Yael Koran of Women in Black, Shakeel Syed of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, Mahmud Ahmad of Al-Awda Palestine Right to Return Coalition, Preston Wood of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, Kim Baglieri of the Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines, Phyllis Kim of Korean Americans for Peace, Carlos Alvarez of the Party for Socialism and Liberation and Bernie Moto of the FMLN. The Palestinian hip-hop band, the Philistines, performed.

   
Nader Abuljebain of the NCA                                        LA protesters carry 50 ft Palestinian and Lebanese flags
Los Angeles photos by Bethany Malmgren

Muna Coobtee of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition said "We are here today in the thousands to protest the ongoing repression and murder of the people of Lebanon and Palestine by the U.S.-backed Israeli army. This protest is an expression of our outrage as Arabs and progressives at the war crimes being committed by Israel in its aggression. But together, we can build a movement strong and powerful enough to stop the U.S. war criminals in the White House and their Israeli proxies."

Participants pledged to build for the next major anti-war march initiated by A.N.S.W.E.R. on October 28 in Hollywood .

YouTube Videos.
The Phillistines. Palestinian hip hop.
Yael Korin. Women in Black.
Nader Abuljebain. National Council of Arab Americans.
Jim Lafferty. National Lawyers Guild.
Ahmad Azam. Muslim American Sociey Freedom Foundation.
Bill Paparian. Former mayor of Pasadena.

Click here for dozens more photos from the LA protest.

Click here to read the Los Angeles Times coverage of the LA protest.

30,000 in Washington, D.C., 10,000 in San Francisco

More then 30,000 demonstrators filled the streets around the White House yesterday chanting, "Stop the US-Israeli war against Lebanon and Palestine."

The New York Times reported today that the demonstration's "diverse crowd included many Arab-Americans and Muslims, college students and families, as well as veterans of prior demonstrations against the war in Iraq." The NY Times goes on, "thousands of people rallied near the White House on Saturday to protest what they described as Israeli aggression in Lebanon and the United States' unwavering support for Israel … At the rally on Saturday, the prevailing sentiments were expressed in signs held aloft by marchers: "Occupation is a crime — Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine." "Stop Israeli terrorism." "No justice, no peace.''

   
Washington, D.C.                                                           San Francisco

More then 150 buses brought demonstrators from, MI, IL, NY, MD, FL, VA, MA, NJ and 25 other states.

Speakers at the Washington D.C. demonstration included, former Attorney General Ramsey Clark; Mahdi Bray the Executive Director of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation; Mara Verheyden-Hilliard an attorney and co-founder of the Partnership for Civil Justice; Brian Becker the National Coordinator of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition; Dr. Mounzer Sleiman of the National Council of Arab Americans; Osama Siblani Publisher at Arab American News; Peta Lindsay Howard University student and Coordinator ANSWER Student and Youth; and Dr. Clovis Maksoud the Former ambassador from the Arab League to the U.N, Arab-American Anti Discrimination Committee (ADC), and others.

In San Francisco 10,000 people marched in one of several other August 12 actions timed to coincide with the Emergency March on Washington. Smaller actions of about 600 people in Seattle and 300 people in Orlando, Florida were also held.

These were the largest demonstrations in the U.S. since the commencement of the Israeli bombing campaign of Lebanon and Gaza in mid-July.

Aug. 12 truly a Global Day of Action

In the United States, the national demonstrations were initiated by the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation and the National Council of Arab Americans.

Aug. 12 also emerged as a day of coordinated worldwide protests. Street demonstrations were held in Mombasa and Nairobi, Kenya; Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, Canada; Madrid, Spain; Paraguay; Damascus, Syria; Santiago, Chile; Mumbai, India; Istanbul, Turkey; Mogadishu, Somalia; Dhaka, Bangladesh; Karachi, Pakistan; Jakarta, Indonesia; Sydney, Australia; Nablus, Palestine; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Beirut, Lebanon and many others.

Crimes against Lebanon and Palestine continue

The U.S.-Israeli war against Lebanon and Palestine has created immense suffering for the people but it has also created widespread resistance. The Bush administration and the Israeli government believed that this massive bombing campaign would force all of Lebanon into a new U.S. sphere of influence. Just the opposite has happened. This same fantasy has backfired in Iraq as well.

Overwhelming military power has inflicted unimaginable human suffering but failed in achieving its political objectives of transforming the entire oil rich region into a virtual colony. The effort to achieve the "new" colonialism by brute force has and will inspire continued resistance by the Lebanese, Palestinian, Iraqi, Syrian and Iranian people and all the peoples of the area.

The August 12 Emergency Demonstrations were an important step in forging the kind of U.S. anti-war movement in the United States that embraces the just cause of the peoples' in the Middle East who are rejecting domination by the new imperial Empire. Instead of having the people of the United States pitted against the Arab people our message is one of solidarity.

People in the United States must struggle for jobs, justice, education, and in opposition to racism at home rather than be dragged along by the war makers in Washington D.C. Their chauvinistic campaign against those in the Middle East who are seeking to freely determine their own destiny is a calculated propaganda effort by the Bush administration --and all those Republicans and Democrats alike -- who support its program of endless war. It is not the people of the United States but the big transnational corporations and banks, and especially the largest oil monopolies, who are the real beneficiaries of the Bush program.

Help take the next steps and stay involved as an activist or supporter of the anti-war movement. Congratulations to all the thousands of volunteers and supporters who made the August 12 demonstrations such an important step in continuing to build this movement. 

Call us at 323-464-1636 or email answerla@answerla.org.

Please help the antiwar movement continue to grow by making a generous donation. We can't do it without your support. To make an online donation, or to send a check, click here.

Click here to read the New York Times coverage of the Washington, D.C. protest.
Click here to read the Washington Post coverage of the D.C. protest.

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