Forty years ago, in 1967, roughly 50,000 demonstrators marched from the Lincoln Memorial to the Pentagon, where a group of protestors inspired by Yippie activist Abbie Hoffman were attempting to levitate the Pentagon. This was one of the major demonstrations against the Vietnam War and helped to stimulate further activism against the unjust and immoral war.
Fast-forward to the present. On March 17, 2007, tens of thousands of protesters again marched on the Pentagon, this time to protest the unjust and immoral occupation of Iraq, as well as a whole host of issues which have led these protesters to call for President Bush’s impeachment. One need not have been present in order to understand the full magnitude of the grievances. Consider the lies the administration told to rush the American people into an undesirable and un-winnable war. Consider the torture carried out in our names. Consider the spying. Consider the human costs, as well as the billons upon billions of dollars already thrown down the drain. Consider the increased risk of Terrorism. Consider the veritable wars on science and on journalism. Consider the obfuscation of the facts and the inability or unwillingness to acknowledge the will of the American people.
After considering all of these things and many others, the real question wasn’t why were these people protesting. The real question was why wasn’t everyone? Well, to be honest, a great many were. The march on the Pentagon was only the keystone to a whole series of protests across the country between March 17th and March 20th, a date which incidentally marks the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Tens of thousands showed up in L.A. Nearly as many showed up in San Francisco. The numbers were genuinely staggering.


Well, it just so happens I was there on March 17th in Washington, D.C. and I witnessed firsthand the passion and courage that these protesters possessed. Some were angry, understandably. Some were sad. Some were cheerful in spite of their circumstances (It was bitterly cold.) Most had a sense of urgency and optimism that surprised me, probably as a result of the skewed perspective provided by the major media. But I have to be fair—there were also large numbers of people who showed up to demonstrate against the demonstrators. They were a less diverse group--mostly veterans who claimed to be protecting the various war memorials form alleged threats of vandalism. I have my doubts. On one side of the street an objective observer might have noticed protesters claiming that there is “No War but the Class War,” or one might have heard middle-aged men and women singing the lyrics to Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance.” On the other side of the street you would find a smaller group, primarily composed of white males, shouting insults like “Traitors,” “Sissies,” not to mention a whole host of expletives hurled across the divide in the presence of small children. I won’t even bother to describe the various death threats I witnessed.
There is no doubt that the event was an historic marker for both sides involved. Likewise, there is no doubt, for any individuals concerned with the facts, that the numbers in protest of the war far exceeded those of the ‘pro-Bush’ crowd. The question undoubtedly on many protesters minds wasn’t whether they were doing the right thing, but rather would it be enough. Will it ever be enough? Many activists including some of the chief organizers of the event are expanding their definitions of Democracy in an attempt to counteract the virtual cold-shoulder they’ve received from the administration and also many in congress. To find out more about these developments please visit www.worldcantwait.org, www.impeachbush.org, and www.answercoalition.org.