Feb. 14, 1998
Press Contact: Brian Becker/Deirdre Sinnott
(212) 633-6646
The newly formed National Emergency Coalition to Stop the U.S. War Against Iraq has set two national anti-war protests on February 28, 1998, for New York City and San Francisco. The Coalition includes over two hundred groups and prominent individuals from anti-war, civil rights, labor unions, women's, student, lesbian, gay and trans, veterans, and religious organizations.
"The people of this country will take to the streets again to protest a U.S. bombing war against the people of Iraq that will likely kill thousands of civilians, further crippling Iraq's water, sanitation and electrical system, and all that is necessary to sustain civilian life," stated Ramsey Clark, former U.S. Attorney General. "A new U.S. bombing is illegal, a violation of international law and constitutes another war crime against the Iraqi people," Clark continued.
The New York City demonstration on February 28 will include a mass march from Times Square to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. The Times Square rally will begin at noon. Demonstrators in San Francisco will assemble at Dolores Park at 11:00 AM.
"The whole world opposes a new act of military aggression against Iraq," stated Sara Flounders, a representative of the International Action Center and one of the spokespersons for the new anti-war coalition. "The U.S. is provoking this crisis not because of some dreaded imminent biological or chemical weapon attack from Iraq, but because the U.S. government wants to overthrow the current Iraqi government and replace it with a puppet regime. The government wants Exxon, Texaco, Mobil, Citibank and Chase Manhattan to control and profit from this region where two-thirds of the world's oil supply is located," Flounders asserted.
The National Emergency Coalition is sponsoring local protests in more than 50 cities between February 17-24 prior to the mass demonstrations on February 28. The Coalition is sponsoring a February 17 protest at 5 pm at Times Square in New York. The group will also rally at Times Square on February 21, 1998.
A statement from the International Action Center.
List of Coalition members.
Back to AJRC Main Page.