Code Pink, ANSWER, chants of “US Out of Iraq!”… For some of us it felt like a real (and depressing) timewarp back to the early days of the US invasion and occupation this past Saturday, as a protest downtown (part of an organized day of action around the country) took aim at the US’s escalating situation in Iraq with regards to Iran. There’s another emergency protest focused specifically on Iran on Thursday at noon at Market and Powell.
Yet it was comforting, energizing even, to see the ol’ SF protest machinery rev itself up for another go at limiting American imperial folly. And, as a friend at the protest reminded me, no matter how much protesters were called ridiculous or traitors back then … well, we were right. Good to tell yourself as we seem to head into another round of jingoistic nonsense, with perhaps even more at stake.
The rally and march were lively (Nancy Pelosi challenger Shahid Buttar’s people were particularly represented), cries went up for “No New Wars!” and a couple thousand people marched politely. A healthy base to rebuild a sadly necessary movement. Photos of the protest below by Lucas Thornton.
