Over this past week, tens of thousands of people throughout the U.S., and thousands more around the world, turned out to mark the 3rd anniversary of the war in Iraq. In town squares and parks, on street corners and bridges, in front of legislators' offices and military recruiting stations all over the country, people stood up for peace -- and to make the war's third anniversary its last anniversary. There were more than 600 events, held in all 50 states.

Many communities held several educational and action-oriented events throughout the week, often culminating in a march, demonstration or vigil. While some organizers reported smaller turnouts than in years past, many groups also reported seeing a lot of new faces and recruiting new members. Coverage by local and national media was generally better than in the past.

The breadth and variety of the local events is a tremendous achievement, and bodes well for building grassroots momentum as we head toward the April 29 mass mobilization in NYC and the November Congressional elections.

Here are some of the many highlights (keep sending reports in, and we'll keep posting them):

East

• In Washington, DC, an organizer of the National Coalition for Nonviolent Resistance event reports, "Some 200 antiwar activists gathered near the Lincoln Memorial. … [W]e conducted a solemn and somber march across the Arlington Memorial Bridge to the LBJ Grove. There four speakers condemned the war: Cindy Sheehan; Mike Ferner, fasting since February 15; Laura Costas, Military Families Speak Out; and Michael Berg, whose civilian son Nick was killed in Iraq. We then marched with a commemorative coffin towards the Pentagon, until we encountered a five-foot-high steel barrier. Since we intended to deliver the coffin to Secretary of War Donald Rumsfeld, fifty-one of us climbed over or went under the barrier. We were taken into custody and charged with 'failure to obey a lawful order.' ... At a post-arrest gathering, the activists reflected on the powerful emotional tone of the March on the Pentagon and started strategizing about future actions. Many of the actions will take place in local communities, but there was also a sense of urgency to continue coming together for mass resistance."
• Beacon, NY: "We held a rally at noon for two hours, in Beacon across from City Hall. Despite very cold and windy conditions, we had over 50 people, very enthusiastic. Lots of signs. Plenty of good honking as cars passed. Steve Gold, convenor of Mid Hudson Progressive Alliance, the sponsoring organization, spoke; as did Pete Seeger and Connie Hogarth, urging participation on April 29. Lots of flyers were given out for the 29th. Local musicians added spirit and warmth to the event. Other 29April endorsers were present: Beacon Sloop Club and Philipstown for Democracy. ... Most of the folks plan to go on the 29April and we will try for everyone to make the same train, so we will have a Peace Train, from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central Station (people from Poughkeepsie, Beacon, Cold Spring and Garrison will be on that train)."
• From the Long Island Peace Coalition: "March 15th: Interfaith Dialogue on the War with LI clergy attended by over 200 with coverage by LI Catholic and Newsday; March 18: Get Out of Iraq Demonstration, Nassau County, attended by about 200 with coverage by Newsday and News 12 (local cable station). March 20: LI Alliance will deliver petitions and replicas of 2300 soldiers to Rep. McCarthy's office and other LI reps later in the week. In our press releases, we highlighted our efforts as part of nationwide efforts coordinated by United for Peace and Justice."
• New York, NY: Nineteen people were arrested on March 19 for blocking traffic when they attempted to read the names of Iraqi civilians killed during the war outside the Times Square military recruiting station. The demonstration was part of the War Resisters League march, which drew approximately 400 protestors who walked in silence, accompanied by a gong and drums, carrying signs, cardboard coffins and pictures of war victims.
• The Roane/Calhoun Peace Coalition in Spencer, WV, drew about 30 people to their Saturday morning vigil. They had a "Wall of Remembrance, borrowed from the Charleston-based WV Patriots for Peace, comprised of 28 8-foot panels, each bearing the names of 81 US service members killed in Iraq. We had enough people to hold up the whole wall, plus a couple to hold signs saying Honk to Bring the Troops Home, at each end." Click here to see a photo gallery.

Midwest

• Chicago, IL: More than 100 religious, community and labor organizations built a diverse coalition, which drew 7,000-10,000 protestors from neighborhoods all over the city and surrounding suburbs, culminating in a rally and a triumphant march down Michigan Avenue. The event took place "in three parts – neighborhood feeder marches and suburban peace trains, afternoon mass rally, and evening mass march down Michigan Ave. All were very successful. But we still need to grow. The eight feeder marches started with neighborhood rallies, then drew out new faces by winding their way through working-class communities to Union Park, just west of the Loop. The peace trains started with rallies at the suburban Metra stops, which were covered in the suburban papers, then groups boarded and headed downtown. The Union Park rally, nearly 5000 at its peak, was the most diverse we’ve ever seen – many nationalities, all age groups. Black rappers performed, parents of soldiers, Congressman Gutierrez, labor people, Palestinians, religious leaders – all added their voices. At the close, people boarded buses and were ferried to upper Michigan Ave." for the march.
• After a five-month campaign by AWARE (Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort) of Urbana/Champaign, IL, the Urbana City Council passed a resolution on March 20th to bring the US military home from Iraq and to end US occupation.
• "Sounds of guitars, drums and voices rang out from Memorial Park in downtown DeKalb, IL, Friday evening, March 17, as a crowd gathered to call for an end to the War in Iraq on the eve of its third anniversary. Rows of empty boots and shoes of all sizes, each adorned with a single daisy, lined the sidewalks along First Street and Lincoln Highway, from 5 to 6 p.m. Each pair of boots was tagged with the name of one of the thousands of troops killed in the war, and each pair of shoes with the name and age of one of the tens of thousands of Iraqis killed, including tiny children. Middle School teacher Dan Kenney and early childhood educator Maylan Dunn, intoned the economic and human costs of this war, and local pastors Rita Root, Joe Gastiger and Linda Slabon, in turn, spoke of its cost to DeKalb area families, recited anti-war poetry, and led the group in peace chants and in a silent rembrance of captured peacemakers, especially the recently martyred Tom Fox. Colorful signs freshly painted by college counselor Frances Loubere and others pictured the shame of torture at Abu Graib and Guantanamo, the spying on American citizens by our government, and the need to bring the troops home now. ... Challenged by DeKalb Interfaith Network Co-coordinator Cele Meyer, the approximately 100 participants enthusiastically shouted their desire for peace now and pledged to keep coming out in opposition to the war until peace is restored. ... Members of the local Network were active all week in the sustained vigil by the Anti-war Majority outside Rep. Dennis Hastert's Batavia office, and planned to travel to Chicago for the giant rally on Saturday March 18."
• Terre Haute, IN: "This was one of our larger demonstrations. Perhaps it is because it is the first we have had since last October when we hosted the statewide demonstration. We had 33 people turn out in front of the Courthouse. It was quite an impressive sight. We stretched from the Civil War monument all the way to one of the corners of the street. Most of the protestors were our stalwarts, but we had four new people. A former soldier in Iraq who has been home a year brought us hot coffee. He won't hold a sign and said he wouldn't speak out publicly but was glad we were out there."
• From Salina, KS: "At our vigil on one of the busiest intersections in town this afternoon, 48 people showed up to greet motorists with signs, coffins, peace and vet flags, and a display with the # of US killed in Iraq. We vigiled for an hour then ended with a song, a chant, and met later for soup and bread. Lots of good ideas were discussed at the meal, and we will use this momentum to form coalitions with others in the area."
• "In Louisville, KY, hundreds of T-shirts were hung on lines stretched between poles along Hurstbourne Parkway, a wide commercial thoroughfare with lots of shopping centers in the upscale eastern suburbs. Interspersed among the T-shirts were handmade signs with messages such as "I will miss my life," "I played the guitar," and "I loved banana pudding." Some 150 to 200 protesters accompanied the display. It was organized by the Louisville Peace Action Community (LPAC), which organized a similar event in a different part of the city last year, and has been active in other anti-war events. ... They plan another vigil in Louisville on Sunday, April 2, and an exhibit, "Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War," at Christ Church Cathedral, downtown Louisville, April 10-17.
• In Lansing, MI: "Community Peace Protests and the 'Confronting the Myth' program were wild success stories. We had approximately 272 people in attendance at these events. We were given the lead coverage on Channel 10 news at 6:00 with an excellent story, featuring footage from every site, and a number of speakers who nailed our basic issues. And they gave a plug for the week-long picket at [US Rep.] Mike Rogers' office."

South

• More than 200 veterans and survivors of Hurricane Katrina marched from Mobile to New Orleans to make the connection between the destruction in Iraq and the neglect and need at home. Thousands gathered in New Orleans' Armstrong Park to welcome the marchers; afterward, participants helped repair a veteran's home that had been damaged by the storm.
• Beaumont, TX: "We held a candlelight vigil at the Jefferson County Courthouse. 30 people stood in a semi-circle with 7 adults and 4 children voicing fears and hopes regarding America's War on Terrorism. Military families and veterans were among those who attended and spoke out. This was average turn out for events in our locality. We had the most press coverage of any event we have ever done. 3 local TV stations sent cameras and a newspaper reporter interviewed speakers."

West

• The 541-mile Peregrinacion por La Paz (March for Peace), led by Iraq vet Camilo Mejia, Fernando Suarez Del Solar, the father of one of the first U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq, and Iraq war resisters Pablo Paredes and Aidan Delgado, is still underway, spreading the word about the realities of war from Tijuana to San Francisco. The journey will culminate in San Francisco on March 27 with a mass blood drive for civilians and coalition forces in Iraq.
• Santa Barbara, CA: "Noon march along the usual demonstration route from Ortega Park down Cota St. and then up State Street, the main street of the city to the Federal Bankruptcy Court where the trials of Vandenberg AFB protestors are held. (MacGregor Eddy's trespass trial is entering the sentencing phase, www.space4peace.org.) Then to a rally with speeches in the sunken gardens at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse (nat'l register of historic places)." Received local TV coverage and front page story in SB News Press. Sponsored by Santa Barbara Veterans for Peace (creators of the Arlington West memorial), Santa Barbara People's Coalition and Students Against War at UCSB.
• From a report on a demonstration in Walnut Creek, CA: "Bay Area UFPJ put its support behind this march and rally in Walnut Creek, a suburb to the east of San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, about 3,000 people attended. The program was excellent, with a keynote address by Normon Solomon. Several local elected officials, including Congressman George Miller, and city council members from a number of East Bay cities also spoke, as well as Anne Roesler from Military Families Speak Out. ... The program was well organized, the mood was excellent, and there was lots of interaction at the tables."
• Evergreen, CO: "More than 35 people gathered in Evergreen, Colorado for one hour to walk one mile to help end the war in Iraq. This is typically a conservative mountain town and the number of honks we get usually is the gauge for the response to our walks. Leaning over backward to be fair to the other side, estimates are that those driving by were 90% positive towards our presence in the downtown area. One peace sign even came from a Hummer. “Enough,” “No More War,” and “One Nation Under Surveillance” were the main themes of the Saturday, March 18th gathering to commemorate three years of war in Iraq. The number of participants was more than double the number of past events. Mountain area residents hope to send a clear message to Congress and the White House that the war must end. Troops Out Now!"
• The Idaho Peace Coalition handed out 500 'receipts' from the Department of Defense for the $225.6 billion taxpayers have been forced to spend on the war: "Beautiful sunshine warmed the day for over 500 folks who participated in the Idaho Peace Coalition's War Buck Brigade on Sunday. A human line was formed between the offices of the two Idaho congressmen and the Idaho Statehouse. Uncle Sam doled out $743 million dollars (Idaho's share of the cost) outside the offices and the participants handed the money down the line to the Iraq War trash can at the Idaho Statehouse."
• From Eugene, OR: "We had a fairly successful demonstration in today at the Federal Building, under the slogan, Take Back Our Country. The crowd of about 3,000 marched from three assembly points; the U. of O, the County Fairgrounds, and from Alton Baker Park from the north side of the river. Two of the marches were led by samba bands, the third by the Eugene Peace Choir. The crowd was greeted at the Federal Building by our mayor, Kitty Piercy, and then addressed by our congressman, Peter DaFazio, and others, including the mother of a soldier who went AWOL rather than face her second deployment to Iraq. The demonstration got good publicity in the alternate weekly, the local NPR and community supported radio stations, and had a 1/4 page ad (as usual, somewhat buried) in the local paper, which had also featured an op/ed piece that pushed the rally."
• The efforts of more than 160 endorsing organizations drew an estimated 15,000 people out to the streets of Portland, OR, on March 19. As one participant reports: "It was a great sunny day in Portland Sunday, I was one of the 15,000+ who marched in the streets. It was peaceful, we chanted, sang danced and carried on with why we were there. ... A woman from Baghdad told us of what had taken place in her home city, many bombs dropped onto their houses, schools, hospitals and buildings, causing many 1,000's to be homeless and living in tents. She said she knew everyone at the rally was behind their cause, and put all the blame on Bush's shoulders. ... After we turned the corner and headed back to Waterfront park, we could see the crowd marching 9 blocks behind us through the cross streets. After getting to the park, I stood with my sign and watched everyone pass by. It was amazing to see the waves of positive energy pass by! One of the messages that was brought out was gathering in communities to support peace, extending beyond the events on the waterfront and into our lives.