Iraq Moratorium Campaign

Members of the Iraq Moratorium Campaign joined the Health Care for All protest at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, where the health insurance industry held its annual meeting. IMC joined with labor unions and community organizations demonstrating against the lack of health care for all. Funding for the war in Iraq could provide health care for all uninsured in this and provide us with a universal health care system.

March 19, at approximately noon, the Iraq Moratorium Campaign began moving to the streets in a very solemn column with members carrying a casket with an American flag, proceeding from one corner to another . Then after a completely circling the major intersection at the foot of Senator Feinstein’s office at Market and Post, members intending to commit civil disobedience and to stop “business as usual” proceeded to the center of the intersection and began the die-in. They successfully closed down this intersection for approximately two hours. Then the SFPD and Sheriff’s Office moved in to arrest the demonstrators.

Pictures from Independent Media

Early presence at the corner of Market and Montgomery Street, in front of Dianne Feinstein’s office…with speakers Fr. Louie Vitale, Rebecca Solnit, Bishop Marc Andrus, beginning of the Die-In.

The Iraq Moratorium Campaign was the lead organizing group, along with Marc Joffe of the Libertarian Party and other local peace and antiwar organizations for a commemorative kick-off in preparation for the events held the week of March 16 marking the end of the 5th year of the Iraq War and Occupation. This event drew an overflow crowd of 500 at the First Unitarian Church in San Francisco:

Iraq: 5 Years too Many - First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco - Sunday, March 16, 2008

An overflow crowd packed the Sanctuary last Sunday as the San Francisco community gathered to call for an end to the 5-Year Iraq War.

Rev. Gregory Stewart opened and closed the program which included a broad range of Bay Area peacemakers. State Senator Carole Migden, Matt Gonzalez, Cindy Sheehan, Iraq Vet Joe Wheeler, and Vietnam anti-war icon Daniel Ellsberg were among those who spoke for peace. Bill Simpich of the Iraq Moratorium Campaign was the MC of this program.

The commemoration began the 6 pm newscast on San Francisco’s Univision KDTV Channel 14, it was the #2 story on Channel 2’s 10 pm news, and was seen on other Bay Area stations.

Following the ceremonies, participants walked to the War Memorial Building on Van Ness. They read the names of the war dead as they marched, and the group lit candles and left flowers at the building.

The Haight Ashbury Peace Vigil on Friday, January 18, 2008, drew a very enthusiastic crowd and reached out to a receptive audience of passersby….Great work!

We gather every third Friday on Masonic Avenue, between Oak and Fell Streets. The next dates are February 15th, followed by March 21st.

by Richard Ivanhoe, Cat Bell, and David
For more information: richardivanhoe@sbcglobal.net

On the third Friday of the month event for December, members of the IMC-SF appeared in Union Square and then marched across the street to join shoppers in front of Macy’s to bring messages of Peace on Earth and Stop the War in Iraq to the public.

We sang traditional Christmas carols and antiwar songs for the last-minute shoppers and handed out our palm-cards with information on how they can help stop the war.

We were joined by members of the Freedom Song Network and the Labor Solidarity Chorus who led us in singing. We were well received by smiling passersby.

It was quite exhilarating and we thank all those who participated.

by Dolores Perez Priem