Asia-Pacific
Anti-war protesters arrested near gates of White House
By Eric Tucker (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-03-21 08:27
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WASHINGTON - More than 100 anti-war protesters, including the man who leaked the Pentagon Papers, were arrested outside the White House in demonstrations marking the eighth anniversary of the US-led war in Iraq.
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The demonstrators cheered loudly as Daniel Ellsberg, the former military analyst who in 1971 leaked the Pentagon's secret history of the Vietnam War that was later published in major newspapers, was arrested and led away by police.
In New York City, about 80 protesters gathered near the US military recruiting center in Times Square, chanting "No to war" and carrying banners that read: "I am not paying for war" and "Butter not guns".
Similar protests marking the start of the Iraq war also were organized on Saturday in San Francisco, Chicago and other cities.
In California, hundreds of people marched in downtown San Francisco. Hundreds more, including students from more than 40 high schools and community colleges, marched in Los Angeles in protest of the US presence in Iraq, organizers and police said.
Some used the rallies to draw attention to the new military action in Libya.
"You can't stand by and watch people being slaughtered. At the same time you don't want to foster war. It's walking a very fine line," Bishop Otis Charles told KCBS-TV at the San Francisco protest.
One military veteran who showed up for the rally was Paul Markin, a 64-year-old retired US Army colonel from Massachusetts who said he's frustrated by what he sees as the US government's escalation of the wars. He said he's been against wars since coming home from Vietnam.
"Ever since that time, I've gone to the other side. Instead of a warrior, an anti-warrior," Markin said.
Ralph Nader, a consumer advocate who's unsuccessfully run several times for president, attended the demonstration and said anti-war protesters needed to continue putting pressure on government leaders. He said he believed most US citizens, including soldiers, agreed with the views of the protesters
"I believe they reflect the majority opinion of the soldiers in Afghanistan," Nader said. "This is a majority opinion movement."
The Times Square demonstration that was meant to mark the eighth anniversary of the Iraq invasion quickly became a protest against Saturday's military strikes.
Gary Maveal, 57, a law professor from Detroit who was visiting the city for a conference, said he feared the Libyan attacks would become a "quagmire".
"We don't have a good record of getting out of anywhere in a hurry," he said.
US Representative Charles Rangel joined the protesters, saying he was angry that Congress was not consulted before the military strikes. He said he was undecided on whether the military action against Libya was justified.
"Our presidents seem to believe that all we have to do is go to the UN and we go to war," Rangel said as a large television behind him at the recruiting station showed an advertisement for the Air Force with crews loading missiles onto fighter jets.
"Going to war is not a decision that presidents should make," he added.
Associated Press
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