Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Hundreds demand 'stop the war' at Democratic Party presidential debate

The ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) initiated a Jan. 31 demonstration at the final Democratic Party presidential debate. The debate took place at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, Calif. Several hundred protesters gathered directly in front of the theatre to demand an immediate end to the Iraq war.

The tone of the evening rally was set by Preston Wood, Los Angeles coordinator of ANSWER, in a live interview on

KPFK radio. He pointed out that Clinton and Obama have no intention of immediately ending the occupation in Iraq, and that as representatives of the ruling class, they are just as eager as President Bush to wield the power of U.S. imperialism in the Middle East.

As the staged debate was happening inside, the protest raged outside the theater. Chants lead by ANSWER activists and Party for Socialism and Liberation militants reverberated on the streets of Hollywood. Some of the chants repeated by the youthful crowd were "Democrats lie, GI’s die," "Clinton, Obama you will see, the Iraqi people will be free," and "Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation!" CNN and local media outlets covered the spirited anti-war action. ***

Protesters target the pro-war Democrats outside the Kodak Theater, Jan. 31, Los Angeles

The protest ended with a rousing speech by Gloria La Riva, the PSL’s presidential candidate. She is seeking the Peace and Freedom Party nomination for president in California. La Riva underscored the demands of the people to immediately end the war and to redirect resources to fund healthcare, education and housing instead. "Only the people can stop the war; not the rich candidates who represent big banks and corporations," La Riva declared.


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