UNITED STATES: Voice of the anti-war majority takes to the streets
Elizabeth Schulte & Eric Ruder, ChicagoFrom all 50 states and all walks of life, they poured into the US capitalon September 24 2005. On buses and trains and planes, in cars and vans, they made their way to Washington, DC, to take a stand against the US occupation of Iraq.
So many people responded to the call to march against the war that at 11.30 am, when speakers began addressing the crowd, tens of thousands were still fighting traffic jams and the crush of people to make their way to the Ellipse, with its clear view of the White House.
The crowd roared with approval as speaker after speaker — including Reverend Jesse Jackson, actress Jessica Lange and former US attorney-general Ramsey Clark — took to the podium to make the case against war.Organizers say as many as 300,000 came to the march, making it one of the largest — if not the largest — anti-war demonstrations ever in Washington.