Give Peace a Chance: (War Part 2)

Ron Kovic, Vietnam War veteran, and author of Born on the Fourth of July, leads the crowd in a few stanzas of Give Peace a Chance. Tina Richards of Veterans for peace and the mother of a US Iraq War veteran talks about her son's PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), how the Army treated him and declared him cured, released him and he then got thrown into jail for beating his wife. Now he is shipping out for another three year tour in Iraq, to her great dismay. Jim Lafferty of the Lawyers Guild and staunch AnswerLA supporter, speaks vehemently about end all wars, spending money on jobs instead of wars, and bringing the troops home.

For detailed info on the rally and a list of participants, see http://answerla.org

Join the Stop War Project: http://outinthestreetfilms.com

From answerLA:
4,000 March in Los Angeles

The Obama administration has continued the Bush plan on Iraq. But Ive got something to say to the President: he must end the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan immediately. And the government must begin taking care of veterans and all people right here in the United States. There are too many homeless; there are too many unemployed. Being in the streets today is the most important place to be. Ron Kovic

Kovic, Vietnam veteran and author of Born on the Fourth of July delivered a rousing, yet solemn speech to 4,000 protesters in Los Angeles on the sixth anniversary of the war. Kovic spoke at the end of the day as veterans and students delivered 40 coffins draped with Iraqi, Afghani, Palestinian and U.S. flags to the doorstep of the Hollywood military recruitment center.

March 21 was a historic protest for LA because it was a militant, veteran- and youth-led action that culminated in a series of dramatic actions targeting the U.S. war machine. The surging energy of the crowd was palpable throughout the day.

A rally with community leaders; anti-war, union and student activists, kicked-off the action. Today is a new beginning for the anti-war movement, said Michael Prysner, Iraq war veteran and member of the Veterans and Service Members Task Force of the ANSWER Coalition. "We are initiating a new period of struggle against the racist policies of the U.S. war machine.

Other speakers included Hamid Khan, South Asian Network; Jollene Levid, GABRIELA Network; Christine Araquel, Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines; Blase Bonpane, Office of the Americas; David Clennon, Screen Actors Guild; Chloe Osmer, National Assembly to End the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; Muna Coobtee, ANSWER Coalition and Free Palestine Alliance; Mahmud Ahmad, Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition; Shakeel Syed, Islamic Shura Council of Southern California; Ryan Endicott, Iraq Veterans Against the War; Tina Richards, Veterans for Peace; Marylou Cabral, Cal State Long Beach student and leader of Youth & Student ANSWER; Carlos Alvarez, Party for Socialism and Liberation; Jim Lafferty, National Lawyers Guild; Sidney Ross-Riden, Global Women's Strike; Sarah Knop, International Socialist Organization, and others. Rebels to the Grain performed political hip-hop and The People's Party played political music along the march route. The rally was chaired by Tamara Khoury, a Palestinian student and ANSWER organizer at Cal State Fullerton, and Peta Lindsay of ANSWER, who also led chants during the march.

Music: "Give Peace a Chance" by JTL: http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?AID=359748&t=8002

Produced, photographed and edited by Jon Raymond, Gulf War vet and USAF veteran of 11 years service.

From Out in the Street Films: http://lafilmonline.com/outinthestreet
See Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjYeufWsJLQ
Part 3: Wake Up! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTssAvFOass

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• ron kovic
• tina richards
• jim lafferty
• answerla
• war
• anti-war
• protest
• march
• hollywood
• peace
• jobs
• aig
• bailout
• economy
• obama

[edubs1093]

I was there. Very sad yo see the sheeople follow their little fox news likr a religion, I hope one day wr can all protest this false rrality we call society

[EricCharlesLomax1]

Hippie bitch

[OutInTheStreetFilms]

@RovingCounter You are the one deceived by your own government, which is the enemy of the American people. War creates more terrorism. there are more now than ever before, because we kill millions of innocent people, much like the Nazis. we foresake our educations, our health and our economy all for the sake of the American corporate oligarchy, that leads [shee]people like you down the garden path by your nose like sheep.

[RovingCounter]

That so many Americans can be deceived by groups who sympathize with the enemies of the USA, is so shameful.

[cfpup]

Diched 187,

I could not disagree with you more. But I hope that when you leave to fight this country's wars you return safe and sound. I too was a young man on fire and enter the service at 17. All I could think was that I would miss the action. But I am 47 now, and I feel very different.

[loyalty213]

idiot

[qualityrkc]

your a fucking nazi. They are dumbasses because they get up off their lazy asses and stand up for a noble cause when they arent even getting paid.

[fallout2029]

All you are saying 911 was an inside job?

[FullMetalOvercoat]

Dumbasses.