Over 100,000 march in September 24 Mobilization on Washington

An estimated 100,000 marched past the White House Saturday, September 24 to demand an end to the US occupation of Iraq. The protest, a joint effort by the United Coalition for Peace and Justice and ANSWER, began on Constitution Avenue and snaked past the Ellipse and Pennsylvania Avenue, ending on Constitution Avenue.

The streets and sidewalks were so clogged with protestors and their supporters that it slowed to a crawl. Counter-demonstrators were few and far between and kept separated from the crowds by the police.

Demonstrators came from as far away as Oregon, representing diverse groups from university students to unions to Iraq War veterans. Many bore hand-made signs condemning the Bush administration for manufacturing the causes of the war in Iraq and calling for Bush's impeachment. The ImpeachBush.org tent was jammed but President George Bush was in Texas and Colorado to monitor hurricane recovery.

Events went on into the evening. Among the notable speakers was Cindy Sheehan, whose vigil in Crawford, Texas re-energized the peace movement. The march  was the largest anti-war protest since the Iraq War began. The Washington Post quoted the D.C. police chief as saying that organizers had probably met their goal of 100,000 demonstrators.