Wisconsin marches against war

MADISON, Wis.--About 200 people gathered here on April 4 to attend a statewide march to demand an end to war and occupation.

Two of Wisconsin's largest antiwar coalitions--the Madison Area Peace Coalition and Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice--called the demonstration. Their list of protest demands included ending all U.S. aggression, ending support for Israel, a stop to state National Guard troop deployments, bringing all troops home now and devoting resources toward education and jobs instead of war.

The event marked two anniversaries--Martin Luther King Jr.'s famed speech against the Vietnam War at the Riverside Church and the birth of NATO. Will Williams of Veterans for Peace helped kick off the march by talking about King's speech and his commitment to ending the war, urging marchers to heed the call to speak out.

WORT radio host and activist Diane Farsetta spoke about NATO's role in Afghanistan and urged listeners to support antiwar efforts concerning Afghanistan.

Taking Obama and his new administration up on its campaign promise to bring "real change," the group handed out signs with "Real change is..." for marchers--with space for protesters to complete the sentence with their own expectations.

Speakers included representatives from the Iraq and Afghanistan antiwar movement and the Palestinian rights movement but also included people who spoke about domestic issues such as the economy and immigrant rights, tying them to the tremendous cost and human toll of the war.

The march gave state residents an opportunity to come together and plan further actions, including an upcoming May Day march and celebration and the fight against state budget cuts.