PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Under a heavy downpour, more than 2000 people from all over Western Pennsylvania and Ohio gathered in Pittsburgh to mark the 1-year anniversary of the beginning of the War in Iraq this Saturday, making it the largest protest in Pittsburgh since just before the war began. They gathered at Flagstaff Hill in Oakland, then marched to the University of Pittsburgh's William Pitt Union. A contingent of protestors also occupied a building at Carnegie Mellon University for several hours in protest of that university's extensive military ties.

Among those speaking at the rally was Susan Snyder of the United Nations office of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

"Why did we go into Iraq? We went in because we were looking for weapons of mass destruction," said Snyder. "Well I want to tell you, I found where those weapons are. They're in Nebraska, they're in California, they're in Utah, they're in Maine and Massachusetts. They're all over this country."

Members of the 122 Pittsburghers who were arrested at an anti-war demonstration one year earlier led the crowd in chanting "Not one more lie! Not one more day! Not one more death!" Protestors were calling for an immediate end to the occupation of Iraq.

Despite a heavy police presence, no protestors were arrested and the events remained peaceful. Carnegie Mellon Police had initially planned to block any off-campus protestors from entering any CMU building, but changed their minds at the last moment. Students had been warned days in advance of the weekend that some protestors would be targeting the university. About 100 protestors entered and briefly occupied the University Center at 5000 Forbes Avenue. Carnegie Mellon Chief of Police monitored the protests, but took no action.

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Seventy-five university students and faculty from all over the country participated in a protest against George Bush in the middle of the ocean. Sailing on the University of Pittsburgh's Semester at Sea program, a significant portion of the ship stood in solidarity against the war in Iraq.

[ Read more, with links to photos ]

One year ago, on March 20th 2003, 1,000 people marched downtown and 122 people were arrested as the war on Iraq "officially" began. Now Pittsburgh is gearing up for another massive protest against the war and occupation.

As part of a Global Day of Protest on the one-year anniversary of the U.S. invasion, Pittsburgh will be the setting for a regional convergence of coordinated peace and justice activities in the spirit of last year's historic January anti-war convergence. Details were announced on Thursday, March 11 at a joint press conference at the Federal Building.

The main events include Empty Shoes and Memories, a memorial commemorating the victims of war and violence at Market Square on Friday, March 19 from 11am-2pm organized by Code Pink, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and the Rosenberg Institute for Peace and Justice. A permitted mass march and rally begins at 1pm, Saturday, March 20, on Flagstaff Hill in Oakland, organized by the Thomas Merton Center Anti-War Committee. Following the permitted march, Pittsburgh Organizing Group (POG) will lead a non-violent sit-in at Carnegie Mellon University.

Other events over the course of the weekend include a picnic for peace, a teach-in, a concert and two video screenings, including one organized by Pittsburgh IMC. (Complete info and up-to-date listings for regional events is available at www.PittsburghMarch20.org.)

Over 200 events are planned in cities across the United States. Demonstrations are also being organized in more than 50 countries around the world -- throughout Africa, Asia, Asia/Pacific, Europe, and Latin America. (An up-to-date list of U.S. and international actions is available at www.UnitedForPeace.org.)

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