Transcript of March 18 talk
Given by A.N.S.W.E.R. organizer Muna Coobtee in L.A.

The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition would like to thank all the organizations and individuals who have helped to bring us all together today to demand an “End to the War and Occupation of Iraq. Bring the troops home now!” This is a great turnout. Let’s hear it for the anti-war movement in LA!

Once again the Bush administration has reaffirmed its endless war against the people of the world.

Three years after the start of the “shock and awe” war of terror against the innocent people of Iraq , they are escalating the war again from the sky. "Operation Swarmer” is raining death and destruction on Iraqis right now.

And they are threatening a war against Iran , plotting against the people of Venezuela , Cuba , and Haiti , Syria , and Korea , crushing civil liberties at home and sending working class youth from our communities and neighborhoods to die for Big Oil. Is our problem the people of Iraq , or is it the war mongers in Washington ? We all know the answer to that!

They say more war, more suffering, more cuts in social services, but we say NO to all wars of aggression, NO to Bush and his wealthy elite who think the world belongs to them. The war criminals in Washington—all of them—Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Negroponte, Bolton—must be held accountable for the murder of hundreds of thousands of innocent people, for their violent agenda against democratically elected governments from Haiti to Venezuela, for crimes against humanity in Iraq. They’re guilty! Let’s remove them from office immediately!

Where are the real weapons of mass destruction? Where are the real arsenals of nuclear warheads?

They’re spread out around the world on U.S. bases, and U.S. war ships. They’re stockpiled in Israel , the Zionist state designed to threaten all of the people of the Middle East , to maintain their illegal occupation of Palestinian lands. These are the real terrorists.

The war criminals must be impeached for their crimes. Let's demand it now!

Struggle against imperialist war and racism

This demonstration—like protests going on all over the world today—reaffirms the will of people everywhere to continue to build a global movement for peace with justice everywhere. The people’s needs must come first. We must disarm and dethrone the centers of militarism and repression centered in Washington and Wall Street, to rebuild and redistribute the wealth which we, as working people around the world, have created. It is through a mass, independent movement in the streets that this will happen.

There is a Bill in Congress now which will ratify the racist policies of the U.S. against our immigrant sisters and brothers who make up such a beautiful part of our communities in Los Angeles and elsewhere. People from Mexico , Central America and elsewhere are dying trying to cross the border to survive, fleeing the policies of so-called “free trade” and globalization. The racist Sensenbrenner Bill will further criminalize the status of millions of immigrant workers in this country.

We have to stand in solidarity with the immigrant community at this time and notify Congress and all the anti-immigrant racists that “No Human Being is Illegal!” Be sure to join all of us next Saturday, March 25, to support the mass demonstration for Legalization of All Immigrants, at 10 AM , at Olympic and Broadway in downtown LA.

Racism against immigrants, the war against Black and Latino people, the crime of the government around Hurricane Katrina, emanate from the same forces behind the war to conquer and control the wealth of Iraq .

Only a people's movement will change history

There is no force stronger that a strong and united movement of people. That is what changes history. That is what won Social Security, the eight hour day, the voting rights act. That is what stopped the war in Vietnam and advanced the struggle against racism and sexism in this country.

Each new demonstration brings together thousands of new activists to continue the process of building a massive militant movement that can shake loose the foundations of war and bigotry that dominate the world today. It’s time to get involved and keep building the struggle.

It’s not just Bush and his cronies. Again and again, Congress has cow-towed to the agenda of conquest against Iraq . Billions have been looted from social programs to bankroll the war. And it’s not just that they are bad people, which we know they are, it’s because the whole system is based on profit and greed and disrespect for the rights of people everywhere to live in peace and enjoy the fruits of their labor. The system has to change!

As public disgust with the current situation continues to rise, we will be hearing voices who now promise to take charge of the situation and claim to represent the will of the people. They’ll say things like: “Just vote for me, and I’ll set you free.” But we’ve heard that one before.

Some feel that if we can just replace Bush then everything will be OK and we can relax. However, we need to remember that the war against Iraq spans decades, and that both Republican and Democratic administrations have participated in bombings, invasions and 12 years of sanctions killings millions.

We can’t rely on Democratic politicians to save the day. That will suck the energy and activism out of the independent movement we are building. Like in Vietnam , it was the heroic determination of the Vietnamese and an anti-war movement of millions that brought the troops home and left Vietnam to its people.

We are building that kind of movement against war and racism that can transform society, disarm the Pentagon and win back all that has been stolen from us - from Los Angeles to Baghdad , to Manila , Port au Price, Caracas , Gaza and everywhere. Let’s keep it real and keep it in the streets.

An injury to one is an injury to all. Together we can never be defeated, and together we will win!