War Effort 'Futile,' Protesters Say in Rallies Against Policy in Iraq

Mar 19, 08:31 PM

Current Headlines: By Marcus Wohlsen

For a second consecutive day, thousands of protesters flowed through the nation's streets Sunday to call for an end to the funding of the Iraq war or the immediate return of U.S. troops.

Demonstrators converged in San Francisco, New York, Portland, Ore., and elsewhere to mark the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq and call on President Bush to heed what they said was the will of the people.

In largely peaceful demonstrations, thousands in San Francisco closed Market Street, a major downtown thoroughfare; in New York, more than 1,000 protesters converged in a park near the United Nations headquarters.

Gary Fong, 65, carried a sign calling on President Bush to "listen to America" as he marched in San Francisco.

"I think the war effort at this point is futile," the retired school guidance counselor and former Army intelligence officer said. "We want to do our part to express to Bush and the government that change needs to be made."

In New York, where union members, representatives of the Rev. Jesse Jackson's Rainbow-PUSH Coalition and war veterans joined protesters, the procession stretched for several blocks.

Actor Tim Robbins, speaking at an earlier rally organized by the New York chapter of United for Peace and Justice, told the crowd that getting Congress to cut off funds for the war "would be a good way" to get the troops home.

"The American people want this war to end," said Robbins, a frequent anti-war protest participant. "That's the message they sent last November in the election. When are we going to start listening to them?"

Police lined sidewalks, and some walked ahead of the protesters as they marched toward the offices of Sens. Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Demonstrators carried signs reading "Impeach Bush," and "Not one more dollar, not one more death."

Bush was at Camp David in Maryland for the weekend. Spokesman Blair Jones said of the protests: "Our Constitution guarantees the right to peacefully express one's views. The men and women in our military are fighting to bring the people of Iraq the same rights and freedoms."

This week, the House of Representatives plans to vote on a war spending bill that includes a troop withdrawal deadline of Sept. 1, 2008. That timeline would speed up if the Iraqi government cannot meet its own benchmarks for providing security, allocating oil revenues and taking other essential steps.

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