By Harry Brill - Used by Permission
What a wonderful experience marching in the anti-war parade on Saturday. The march was serious; the mood was festive. It was heart warming marching with thousands of people who very much care about making a difference.
It was also an unusual event, one which I hope will set a new standard for future demonstrations. It made the immensely important connection between the violence of the war abroad and the violence of the war at home. That’s right. To deprive working people and their families of decent jobs is a form of violence.
The march ended at Pier 33, where long shore workers lost both their union status and their jobs. Just several months ago the National Park Service awarded a ten year exclusive contract to take tourists to Alcatraz. The company, Hornblower, immediately got rid of the unions and the vast majority of its workers. Members of the striking unions wrote up an excellent leaflet that spells out how the war has contributed to the current mess at home.
International issues are also local ones, which those who organized and participated in the massive demonstration understood and acted upon. That was the underlying meaning of the march.
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