81 anti-war protesters arrested
March 20th, 2004

   On Saturday, March 20, millions of people around the world came into the streets as part of the Global Day of Action to "Bring the Troops Home Now" and "End Colonial Occupation from Iraq to Palestine to Haiti and everywhere."

   In the United States - one of more than 60 countries that held protests - demonstrations took place in over 300 cities, including major regional actions of 100,000 in New York City, 50,000 in San Francisco, 20,000 in Los Angeles and 10,000 in Chicago. The turnout at all of these demonstrations far exceeded the expectations of the organizers.

Protesters gathered in Dolores Park this morning, making their way through the Mission to Market Street, then headed to the Civic Center where speakers called for an end to the military occupation of Iraq.
    Act Now to Stop War and Racism (ANSWER), which organized the protest, claimed that 50,000 people filled the streets of San Francisco. Police do not release their estimates of crowd totals, Crowell said.
   Today's protest coincided with demonstrations in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, where ANSWER claimed 100,000 people gathered, and followed similar actions in San Francisco Friday led by Direct Action to Stop the War.)
   Thousands of protesters began to march from Dolores Park to the Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco this afternoon, calling for an end to the military occupation of Iraq and a stronger focus on domestic problems.
   The plaza bustled with activists manning booths protesting Bush administration policies on everything from stem cell research to opinions toward North Korea.
   The protest, which coincides with the one-year anniversary of the Iraq invasion, was organized by Act Now to Stop War and Racism (ANSWER) and is one of many held today around the country and the world, in cities that include London, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.
   Described by organizers as a "global day of action'' meant to protest occupations around the world, the demonstration is part of an effort to keep alive the anti-war movement started last year.