Sacramento Anti-War Demonstration Confirms That Peace Takes Courage

(Sacramento, CA June 10, 2006) Sacramento progressives confirmed that “peace takes courage” by holding another anti-war demonstration at 16th and Broadway. Over three hours starting at 5:00 pm, about 150 people dedicated to the anti-war/anti-Bush regime cause rejected pressure to boycott the demonstration because the “wrong people” were sponsoring it.

The peaceful, enthusiastic demonstration was the latest in a series beginning last summer at the busy 16th and Broadway location. Unfortunately, since the last demonstration in April 2006, another 128 U. S. troops have been killed and 378 have been wounded, “Mi Lai Massacre” type incidents have started to be uncovered, and untold thousands of Iraqis have died as “collateral damage.”

The community was energized when the original organizers scheduled another 16th & Broadway demonstration for June 10. Subsequently, these same organizers announced they were discouraged from organizing future anti-war demonstrations at 16th & Broadway and were canceling the June 10th demonstration, but encouraged anyone to feel free to go there and protest the war anytime.

The June 10th demonstration was resuscitated when long-time Sacramento activists and previous co-sponsors of these events, Ruth Holbrook and George McAdow, stepped in to fill the leadership void. The demonstration was ultimately sponsored by the Sacramento Coalition to End the War, Not in Our Name (NION)/Sacramento, World Can't Wait (WCW)-Drive out the Bush Regime, Chicano Consortium, Sacramento Peace Action, and Green Party/Sacramento.

Pressure to boycott the demonstration began almost immediately when the original organizers strongly objected to World Can’t Wait and Not In Our Name involvement, even though WCW and NION have previously co-sponsored the demonstrations. Radio talk show host Christine Craft (KSAC 1240 AM) even devoted most of her June 9 program to promote the boycott, decrying the supposed take over of the demonstration by violent, communist/anarchist outside agitators. Interestingly, some listeners reported mistaking the show for a taped airing of an historical Congressional Un-American Activities Committee hearing from the 1950’s.

The success of the June 10th demonstration shows that progressive activists dedicated to the anti-war cause will not ignore nor boycott anti-war demonstrations anywhere, anytime. They are focused on the pro-peace/anti-Bush cause, whomever is promoting that cause.

The growth of the progressive community in Sacramento has been based on the unconditional, unqualified support among all the diverse groups from the Anarchists, the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP) and the LaRouches, to Deaniac Democrats and Buchanan paleocons, coming together under the anti-war/anti-Bush banner. That’s what Sacramentans are accustomed to, and they’re not going to be intimidated into supporting anything that damages that solidarity. The strength of this movement is in its diversity.