About 300 people rallied and marched in Salem today against the wars and occupations and sending Guard troops overseas. The weather was unseasonably bad and no doubt kept many people away. This was the first scheduled major antiwar demonstration here since the new administration took office, not counting the demonstrations in solidarity with Gaza during the last Israeli incursions.
Jo Ann Bowman did a fantastic job, as she always does, of energizing the crowd. Prominent opening speakers included a young war resister refusing deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan; Linda Burgin, President of SEIU Local 503; a feminist speaker; and Ramon Ramirez, President of PCUN. Ramirez invited people to return for May Day at the State Capitol, which should be a visible mass demonstration of workers' unity as campaigns for progressive immigration reform kick-off and as the economic crisis deepens. Burgin spoke from her unique experience as a woman living in a military family. The feminist speaker gave special emphasis to the oppression of women in the moment and made this experience real to us.
During the march members of Portland ISO led the most spirited chants. An anarchist with a bullhorn demonstrated the infantile nature of anarchist practice by criticizing "candidate" Obama repeatedly and as annoyingly as he probably could. Veterans for Peace banners, the ISO signs calling for an end to the occupations of Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine, church banners and many homemade peace signs were most visible. Many people noted our own new Communist banner and asked about our organization. If the crowd was small, we were also motivated.
The main body of the march ended at Salem's First Congregational Church, where the Rural Organizing Project summit was taking place. Word from that meeting was that ROP has agreed to work on immigration reform and that they will be doing lobbying tomorrow in Salem. ROP has it essentially right: they have been working through an internal democratic process, and in cooperation with other groups and movements, to push a progressive and antiwar agenda forward.
Numbers were certainly low today because of the weather, but it must also be said that the peace movement here is still learning how to function in the new political environment. The absence of people of color and union delegations today means that outreach to key sectors is falling behind or that these people are also having difficulties mobilizing behind broad programs for change.
Resistance counts and can develop over time. It was important to be there today. It will be just as important to take the energy from today's demonstration back to work tomorrow and build for May Day.
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