I was responsible for organizing the bus captains for four of the eight buses the Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism organized to go to the April 20 demonstration in Washington. Four buses were leaving from a mosque in Villa Park, but my four buses were leaving from Grant Park.
As I was trying to get ready, I had to wonder whether the weekend ahead would be as historic as the actions that had taken place in the very location of our departure at the time of the Democratic Convention in 1968, when young people opposing the Vietnam War clashed with the Chicago police in a battle heard round the world.
Knowing that many of the participants were first timers at a national protest, I certainly hoped the D.C. police would be a lot more restrained than Mayor Richard Daley's police had been in 1968.
I remembered the chant of those long-ago demonstrators: "The whole world is watching." I knew that the groundswell of support for Palestine in the last few weeks could set the stage, for the first time in the over 50 years of Israel's existence, for tens of thousands in this country to demand an end to the occupation of Palestine and confront the U.S. government for its funding of Israel's brutality.
I was running late. I decided to take a cab. My cab driver was from Palestine. I told him where I was going, and that I knew of eight buses and at least 15 vans that were going to D.C. to support Palestine.
He told me his wife had participated in several of the protests in Chicago at the Israeli Consulate and he had honked his horn in support when he came upon one of the many demonstrations or vigils that have been happening around town, but that he didn't know about the protest at the White House.
A sign of great things ahead
When he saw the number of people waiting for the buses in the park he was thrilled. As we parted, I told him to watch the ANSWER rally on CSPAN on Saturday [April 20] and he told me he was on his way to drive by the weekly Friday afternoon demonstration at the Israeli Consulate so he could honk his horn. I took the whole encounter to be a sign of great things ahead for the weekend.
The bus I was captain of was not coming back until Monday evening [April 22]. Those on my bus were planning to go the protest on Saturday, April 20, as well as participate in activities in support of the mass struggle in Colombia on April 21 and 22, and the demonstration at AIPAC on the evening of April 22.
The two main organizers of all of the buses were CCAWR members Dorothy Pagosa, a Franciscan nun from the Eighth Day Center for Justice, and Bill Massey, an activist with International ANSWER.
Organizing the buses had been a roller coaster ride. In early April, when we had to pay for the first two buses, it meant desperately trying to come up with funds before all the tickets had been sold. But by April 15, the number wanting seats had Dorothy and Bill scrambling around trying to find more buses.
Most riders had never been to a national demonstration. Most of those were students from DePaul, Columbia College, Northwestern and the School of the Art Institute. There were also several middle-aged women who had never been to a national protest.
Gay pride for Palestine
In the hold of the bus was the Chicago Anti-Bashing Network's banner for their contingent. CABN is planning a contingent in the Gay Pride Parade in June in solidarity with Arabs, Muslims and South Asians as well as denouncing the U.S. war drive.
There were several banners that Columbia students had done. One depicted Uncle Sam holding a moneybag over an Israeli Defense Forces soldier shooting a Palestinian. The slogan was "Whether you bought the bullet or pulled the trigger, it's the same."
Alex, a veteran of World War II and a member of Vets for Peace, was the oldest on our bus, at 84. Drew, a student from DePaul, was the youngest, at 18.
Bill and Mary Alice had attended the historic March on Washington in 1963 when Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his "I Have A Dream" speech. Bill had participated in the civil rights movement, and relatives had taken Mary Alice as a child. Most of these bus riders weren't born yet in 1963.
Reza had been an activist with the Iranian Students Association back in the 1970s. He had two mild heart attacks and angioplasty in January and February, but he was determined to go to Washington in support of Palestine.
Asmaa is a DePaul student and a member of United Muslims Moving Ahead and the newly formed Students for Justice in Palestine. She sat across from Lupe, who was from the DePaul Alliance for Latino Empowerment. Both Asmaa and Lupe planned to protest the occupation of Palestine on Saturday and Monday evening as well as Plan Colombia on Sunday and Monday morning.
No one on our bus was arrested. Sister Dorothy and some of the DePaul students came very close at the Colombia protests on Monday morning. They were marching with those who did not want to get arrested when police on horseback surrounded them. Luckily, all got out of the situation okay.
On the way back everyone was sporting newly purchased buttons, T-shirts and kaffiyas. All had a deep feeling that their participation among the hundred thousand who came out for Palestine made them a part of history.
All vowed that they would continue to protest against war and racism.
Reprinted from the May 2, 2002, issue of Workers World newspaper