Monday, March 19th marks the 4th anniversary of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and the majority of the country is hoping that it will be the last anniversary of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. A number of events will be taking place during St. Patrick’s Day weekend to commemorate and protest the event, which you are welcome and encouraged to participate in. Most of the information below will also be posted on our bulletin board.

• Declaration of Peace-San Mateo County will be sponsoring “We Choose Peace”, a peaceful candlelight march to observe the 4th anniversary of the war in Iraq. Bring candles and signs with nonviolent messages of peace. There will be a short vigil, followed by a march through downtown San Mateo. The evening will conclude on the Great Lawn in Central Park with music by the Atkinson-Kincheloe Band and the reading of the names of the Bay Area dead.
  This is a peace march, not an antiwar rally. Because the focus for this march is on peace and an end to violence, we are asking that signs containing violent speech, epithets directed at particular persons (including the president, vice president, and members of Congress), and other negative messages be left at home for this event. Thank you for keeping the focus on peace!
  The march begins at 7 PM at Central Park in San Mateo on Friday, March 16th.
• Peninsula Peace and Justice Center is sponsoring a “Get out of Iraq! Stay out of Iran!” anti-war rally on Saturday, March 17th at 12:00 noon. Bring signs to tell Congress to cut the funding for the war. There will be speakers and music. Meet at the Palo Alto City Hall Plaza at 250 Hamilton Ave. in Palo Alto.
• There will be a youth antiwar protest in San Francisco on Sunday, March 18th to commemorate the 4th anniversary of the war in Iraq. During these past four years, the situation in Iraq has gotten worse and worse by the day. Who can deny that the U.S. military occupation today is the main source of violence and instability in Iraq? Isn’t it clear that the immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops and the payment of reparations to the Iraqi people is the precondition for stability and national reconstruction in Iraq? Unless we act now the war will last for years. Bush is prepared to send hundreds of thousands of troops to the Middle East for years to come. The Democrats and Congress remain virtually paralyzed. In the 1960s, youth were in the forefront of the peace movement. Young people must play this role today. Remember: Mass protest stopped the Vietnam war and it can stop the war in Iraq. The march will begin at 11 AM at the corner of Battery St. and Market St. in San Francisco (about 2 blocks north of the Montgomery BART station).
• Have you ever wondered why it seems we always are at war? Filmmaker Eugene Jarecki certainly did, and set out to explore the preoccupation with the military in this country. The result was “Why We Fight,” which the film’s page on the Sony Pictures Classics web site calls “…an unflinching look at the anatomy of the American war machine.” “Why We Fight” won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. It begins with President Dwight Eisenhower giving his famous farewell speech warning of the “military/industrial complex,” and includes well-known voices from throughout the political spectrum giving a variety of takes on the purpose of the military, its budget, and its human and hardware components. The film’s imagery carries its message home with impact. It is 98 minutes, and is rated PG-13.
  Peace Action of San Mateo County will be presenting a free screening of this film (and free popcorn!) on Thursday, March 22nd at 7:30 PM at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 300 E. Santa Inez Ave., San Mateo. Note that this is the same night as Aragon’s open house.

And, of course, Peace Club will probably be doing something on March 19th to commemorate the event. Stay tuned.