March 18 peace rally, documentary recall 2003 Iraq invasion

From multiple press releases

The “Peace in Ukraine” demonstration in Washington D.C. March 18 coincides with the 20th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

The National Committee of the Green Party of the United States voted to endorse the peace rally, consistent with the commitment to peace of the Green Party, which distinguishes it from the two dominant U.S. political parties. 

Leading up to that 2003 invasion, those two major political parties widely shared false claims about Iraq’s capability to deploy weapons of mass destruction. The media helped to distribute what is now widely seen as pro-war propaganda.

The 20th anniversary of the Iraq War offers an opportunity to recall how war fever gripped mainstream media across the political spectrum. U.S. media outlets from Fox News to MSNBC whipped up fear, uncritically disseminated Bush administration lies, and positively gushed over the prospects of waging an unprovoked war and invading a sovereign nation under false pretenses.

On March 18, the Green Party will join other anti-war groups in protesting U.S. and NATO policies of open-ended financial and military support for Ukraine.

The Ukraine war is the largest armed conflict occurring in Europe since WWII. This war has already caused hundreds of thousands of casualties and millions of refugees, but it poses an even greater danger to mankind: the danger of escalation to a nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia.

“The Ukraine war must end with a negotiated settlement as soon as possible for the sake of Ukraine and the world. The U.S. must stop pouring fuel on a dangerous fire that may consume us all,” said Haig Hovaness, co-chair of the Green Party Peace Action Committee (GPAX).

“We must show our U.S. leaders that we do not support their actions in Ukraine. It is time to take a stand and make our voices heard,” said Madelyn Hoffman, GPAX co-chair.

“I am pleased that GPAX and the Green Party voted to stand with our brothers and sisters in Russia and Ukraine, and with the millions around the world who oppose war. We support their right to speak out and call for peace between nations,” Hoffman said.

“We need real solutions not war! The United States needs to take a step back, stop sending money and weapons to the Ukrainian government and instead support negotiations, a ceasefire and work toward a solution that will provide for the security of all involved parties, instead of continuing to escalate the conflict toward full-fledged WWIII and what would be a catastrophic nuclear war!”

Tony Ndege, a co-chair of the Green Party remarked, “As an activist who co-organized the largest anti-war action ever for my state twenty years ago, I have seen the pitfalls of movements when their focus is divided into throwing support for the ‘lesser evil’ candidate between two parties of War and Wall Street. We are now staring at 90 seconds from midnight on the (atomic scientist) Doomsday Clock. In the face of the unprecedented danger of nuclear warfare, the fight for survival of global society and our planet is the fight for political independence and parties like the Green Party of the United States.”

The Sean Penn-narrated documentary “War Made Easy: How Presidents & Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death” is one of two full-length films that can be streamed free through March 24.

The Media Education Foundation is also sponsoring free streaming through March 24 of “Hijacking Catastrophe: 9/11, Fear & the Selling of American Empire (2004)” through its website at mediaed.org and https://vimeo.com/showcase/invasion-of-iraq.

For more information:

Protest March 18-19: Peace in Ukraine – Say NO to Endless U.S. Wars – ANSWER Coalition
National Endorsement – Peace in Ukraine – Proposal Details March 14th, 2023