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Chicago Rally to Thank Obama for Supposedly Ending War in Iraq Turns Up 30 Speakers and 10 Audience Members

By David Swanson – December 17, 2011

Obama promised to make ending the war in Iraq his first act in office. Then he did what he could to avoid ending it. Forced by Bush and Maliki and the Iraqis to remove troops, he’s keeping troops nearby and filling bases with mercenaries, while expanding ground and drone wars around the region and claiming the power to make war anywhere he likes, including having already done so in Libya. Nonetheless a hearty band of Obama-Right-Or-Wrongers planned a rally in Chicago to praise the president for . . . well, for something or other.

The rally was sponsored by Marilyn Katz and Carl Davidson and “Chicagoans Against War in Iraq,” and was promoted as a big national event. I heard about the planning here in Virginia. Among the 30 speakers were the president of the Cook County Board Toni Preckwinkle, Alderman Joe Moore, and Tom Hayden. But an email report I’ve just been forwarded says the audience was “5-10,” and “Dozens and dozens of prepared placards that said ‘yes we can’ were in a box, untouched.”

Meanwhile, “In opposition, holding placards, were some 15 or more from March 19th Anti-War Coalition, Occupy Chicago, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Albany Park, North Park, Mayfair Neighbors for Peace and Justice, and others. The placards included slogans “The U.S. War on Iraq is NOT Over” “Obama Does Mot Deserve Praise,” “Obama is Continuing Illegal & Unjust Wars,” “Obama Is Threatening Iran and Syria,” “Free Bradley Manning,” “No War on Iran,” “Orambo,” “There Is Nothing to Celebrate” and others. Hundreds of leaflets from the March 19th Anti-War Coalition entitled “The Government is NOT bringing all U.S. troops home or ending its wars against Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, or its threats against Iran and Syria and elsewhere” were distributed to passersby as well as those at the rally.”

December 17, 2011 - Posted by | Illegal Occupation, Militarism, Progressive Hypocrite

2 Comments

  1. If the American people vote for this Jackass again they deserve this cloned imposter for four more years.

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    Comment by Bertiz Benhamid | December 17, 2011

  2. Well, I am impressed with the activism by ‘…March 19th Anti-War Coalition, Occupy Chicago, Iraq Veterans Against the War;…’

    Occupy Chicago got it right! Why didn’t the other encampments in October and November focus on the US criminal wars of aggression?

    And of course, the other big issue conspicuously missing in the narrative was 9/11. BTW, it has been investigated for unknown hundreds of thousands of critically thinking people worldwide. I am sure we know perfectly well who planned, executed and covered-up that act of high treason within, and an act of war from abroad, by Israel for sure.

    How did Tom Hayden get on the wrong-side of that protest? He needs to clarify his position. Any celebration of Obama is complicity in his treachery, including his pending signature on the patently unconstitutional military authorization bill containing provisions for anyone’s the disappearance, torture, and assassination.

    That makes us, the new Palestinians, and Washington, D.C., Tel Aviv, and Obama a mask for Netanyahu!

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    Comment by Bill Mitchell | December 18, 2011


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