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Weekend demonstrations draw thousands as Bush's approval ratings hit all-time low

IMC-US, 20.03.2006

Tens of thousands of protesters gathered this weekend across the United States to protest this governemnts continuing occupation of Iraq, and call for accountability from the current administration. The protests were timed to mark the third anniversary of President George Bush's declaration of war, which he made without the support of the UN or the international community. The attacks began the morning of March 20.

According to United for Peace and Justice, over 500 US cities planned protests in all 50 states this week; below are firsthand reports from some of those gatherings. Tens of thousands also gathered in cities abroad, including in the Iraqi cities of Basra and Baghdad.

Four polls published last week put Bush's approval ratings at an all-time low -- somewhere between 33 and 36 per cent.

Civil Disobedience
Boston, MA: Demonstrators visit several ROTC Offices | Chestnut Hill, MA: Students Stage Die-In On Iraq War Anniversary | Eugene, OR: Civil Resistance activists arrested after sit-ins | Lakewood, OH: Arrests at Lakewood Military Recruitment Center | Lansing, MI: Five Arrested at Lansing Military Recruitment Center | Los Angeles, CA: Eight Arrests at Senator Feinstein's Office -1 -2 | Portland, OR: 19 Arrested while Delivering Anti-War Petitions to Senator Wyden's Office | Washington, DC protesters target Halliburton, Bechtel, and Carslyle |

Rallies & Marches
Akron, OH 1 2 | Albuquerque | Arlington, TX | Ashland, OR | Binghamton | Boston 1 2 | Chicago | Colorado Springs | Columbus 1 2 | Concord, NH | Connecticut | DC | Duluth, MN | Eugene | Fayetteville, AK | Fresno | Houston | Kansas City | Los Angeles | Milwaukee | Minneapolis/St.Paul | Nashville | New Hampshire | New York | Olympia | Orange County 1 2 | Pittsburgh | Phoenix | Philadelphia | Portland | Rochester | San Diego | San Francisco Bay Area | Santa Barbara | Santa Cruz | Seattle | Sheboygan, WI | Springfield, Mass | Stevens Point, WI | Tuscon, AZ | Vancouver, WA | Vermont | Worcester



Opposition to this war is no new thing. Bush launched agressions just over a month after millions of people had gathered around the world on February 15, 2003, in what has been since called the largest coordinated protest effort in history. Still, the opposition expressed this week has a heightened level of adamance. It is increasingly recognized that Iraq is slipping into civil war, and critics across the political spectrum say Bush has no plan for dealing with the escalation of brutality and tension. On Friday the US second-in-command, Lieutenant-General Peter Chiarelli, stated that Iraq is closer to civil war now than it has been at any point since 2003.

Yet the President shows no signs of responsiveness to this situation. On Thursday he reiterated his controversial policy of preemptive strike, which provided the justification for the start of the war.

RELATED ACTION
Day of Media Protest
Veteran's and Survivors March for Peace and Justice: 1 | 2



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