Philadelphia
Uhuru movement leads anti-war demonstrations
Even before the US-Anglo invasion
of Iraq officially began, the Philadelphia branch of the International
People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement (InPDUM) mobilized a powerful
demonstration in the crowded Monday evening rush hour of Center City on
March 17th.
Thousands of city workers on
their way home heard the chants, saw the banners and got a flyer in their
hands denouncing the U.S. terrorist aggression against the people of Iraq.
The demonstration called for no African community participation in Bush’s
war in the Middle East and demanded peace through social and economic
justice, reparations and liberation for African, Arab and all oppressed
peoples! InPDUM is calling for “$$$ billions for reparations, not
for war, police and prisons!”
Distinguishing itself from
other anti-war rallies, which simply called for “peace,” this
demonstration called for liberation and self-determination for Iraqi,
Palestinian and all oppressed peoples. Speakers rallied the people to
stand against the U.S. government attacks against the African community
in the U.S. and other colonized people in the U.S. and around the world.
Participating organizations
included InPDUM, the African-American Freedom and Reconstruction League,
the African People’s Solidarity Committee, the Moorish Unification
Council of the World Incorporated, Friends and Family of Mumia Abu-Jamal,
Palestinian activists, students from Moore College of Art, the Germantown
Unitarian Church and various peace and anti-war groups.
After a spirited rally, the
demonstrators joined with a student “die-in” to take over the
streets around City Hall and blocked rush-hour traffic for over an hour.
This demonstration was the first of several led by the Uhuru Movement
in Philadelphia, which stood in unity with the millions of people all
over the world denouncing U.S. terrorism.
The Palestinian and Arab participants
were especially appreciative that the Uhuru Movement called to “Free,
Free Palestine!” and for self-determination for Iraqi and Arab peoples.
The other anti-war mobilizations,
led by predominantly white left groups, did not voice unity with the right
of the Arab peoples to sovereignty. In fact, mobilizations that had originally
supported the Palestinian people’s liberation struggle against Israel
had capitulated to criticism by white nationalists. The white left had
dropped this demand, raising instead such slogans as “Bring the troops
home,” and calling to stop anti-Semitism!
The movement also participated
in daily rallies and demonstrations in the week after the invasion began,
including a massive student walk-out from high school and university campuses.
Students expressed enthusiastic
support for the presentation made by Philadelphia InPDUM President Kamau
Becktemba at their rally. He deepened their understanding of the world
situation by explaining that the U.S. is at war with the oppressed and
colonized peoples of the world in a desperate struggle to keep control
of the people’s resources.
Becktemba called on the students
to unite with the national liberation struggles taking place all over
the world, including in Colombia, Palestine, Africa, the Philippines and
the Middle East, and to join the struggle led by the African community
inside the U.S. for reparations and social and economic justice.
In March, InPDUM and the African
People’s Solidarity Committee also held successful anti-war forums
on campuses around the Philadelphia area: at Temple University, Rutgers
University, New Jersey and at Moore College of Art, as well as at Robin’s
Bookstore in Center City and the Uhuru House in West Philadelphia.
The anti-war efforts of the
Uhuru Movement brought people to realize that there can be no meaningful
peace in the world today without genuine justice and liberation for African,
Arab and all oppressed people. Armed with this understanding, people signed
up to participate in building the World Tribunal for Reparations for African
People that the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement
is sponsoring in Philadelphia on November 15-16, 2003.
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