Hundreds of Thousands Take Stop the War Message to Congress

O n Saturday January 27, 2007, hundreds of thousands of peace protestors responded to President Bush’s call for a troop surge with a peace surge of their own that flooded the streets of Washington, DC and other cities around the U.S. These massive anti-war demonstrations took place less than a week after President George Bush urged Congressional support for an additional 21,500 troops for the war in Iraq. Veterans, labor and religious groups, and people from around the U.S. marched along a route that encircled the Capital building. While the usual controversy has ensued over attendance numbers, one thing is certain, the march route was altered to accommodate more participants than the police expected. 

Crowds chanted, “No more war!” “This is what democracy looks like,” “Not one more dollar.” Other protestors, including many parents with their children, were perched upon government buildings along the march route, brandishing home-made signs calling for world peace and a quick end to military conflict. A group of Code Pink women carried a large pink slip above their heads chanting, “Here come the pink slips.” 

Florida Peace activists Vicki Impoco, Sharan Miller, and Mindy Stone marched with a banner reading: “Melbourne, Florida, War Isn’t Working, Troops Out Now!” 

Impoco, who is the co-organizer of Brevard Patriots for Peace, said she flew to Washington to try and put a stop to the president’s plans for escalation in Iraq. Impoco was particularly encouraged to see so many veterans at the event: “I think what moved me the most was when I saw a Marine in full dress just walking through the crowd,” she said. “I went up to him and shook his hand and thanked him for his courage and for being there.” 

She was also surprised with the tone of the march. “That was my first demonstration in Washington  and I was really overwhelmed by the number of people that were there and how peaceful it was and how everyone just bonded.” 

A long-time activist with several DC marches under her belt, Sharon Miller said there were more young people involved than in the past. “I think the difference was the families and the college students, especially the high school students. I think that was a huge difference from past marches.”

Throughout the event, at the foot of the stage, the anti-war group Code Pink had set-up a moving display—an eight-foot cylinder containing pairs of shoes representing the Iraqi dead. One of the group’s members encouraged protestors to place an ID tag, including the victim’s name, gender, age, and manner of death, onto one of the hundreds of shoes spilling out five feet around the base of the memorial.