20 March 2004

by Anai Rhoads

AnaiRhoads.org - On the one year anniversary of the U.S. led war in Iraq, scattered protests errupted around the world pleading for the end to the occupation and bloodshed.

Over 90% of Spain's population was against supporting and assisting in the war in 2003. Having suffered a homeland attack recently, Madrid sympathised with Iraq's plight. Hundreds of black balloons were released into the air Saturday. Each symbolising a life lost in this war.

Australia's conservative government, lead by John Howard, had shown support for the war by sending 2,000 troops to Iraq. The deployment of troops to Iraq was the country's largest since the Vietnam war. There are Australians still stationed in Iraq. The protesters demanded that Howard allow the men and women stationed there to come back home.

In London, two Greenpeace activists climbed the city's historical clock, Big Ben. The men managed to climb two security fences bypassing police. Once at the top, they unravelled a banner that read "Time for Truth." Meanwhile, anti-war protesters collectively marched in central London carrying signs and chanting.

Country after country discarded the Bush Administration's requisition. Demonstrators walked in the streets of Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Netherlands, Tokyo, Japan, Philippines, Chile and several other countries voicing their opposition. In America, States included Colorado, Illinios, Florida, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Maine, Pennsylvania, California, Texas, and a number of others. Over 250 cities had demonstrations in all.

While the original quantity of protesters was higher in the 15 February 2003 demonstrations, hundreds still managed to stream into the streets to plead for an end to the ongoing violence in Iraq this weekend. The largest protest was in Rome, Italy, where an estimated one million people made an appearance. In the U.S., New York City had the most proximated numbers at 100,000.

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