American University
WASHINGTON – Anti-war advocates of all ages, races and genders gathered at the Pentagon for the Women’s March on the Pentagon, to confront what they called “the bi-partisan war machine.”
The march was billed as a march for peace. It ended with a rally full of speeches, music and entertainment promoting anti-war efforts in the Pentagon’s north parking lot.
Maria O’Rourke is an avid anti-war protestor who attended the entire march and rally. She said she fully supports the platform of the march.
O’ Rourke said, “I love the tag line for the march, that this is a ‘nonpartisan protest against the bi-partisan war machine.’” This protest was not pro-Democrats or pro-Republicans, but was nonpartisan and anti-war, she said.
O’Rourke supports the title Women’s March on the Pentagon rather than a title more specific to anti-war because she said the title “brings about realization that war devastates family.” As an example, she pointed to how war has effected Cindy Sheehan’s family.
Sheehan is a prominent leader in the anti-war community, and was a key organizer of the march and rally. She lost a son in war and now shares her story around the world in order to show how deadly and unfair war is. Sheehan spoke at the rally and expressed that the U.S. needs to stop bombing other countries.
Paula Iasella, an anti-war activist, addressed not only the cruelty of war but also the financial stress war puts on the U.S. Iasella said, “Our tax dollars are being wrongly used for war efforts when we should be focused on using our tax dollars to help people in America.”
“We have become the terrorists,” said Iasella. As a solution, Iasella said, “America needs to close their bases around the world.”
Iasella is frustrated with the media’s lack of coverage of the anti-war agenda and anti-war protests such as Sunday’s. Iasella said, “We need to have events like this covered by the mainstream media, she said. We are only silenced or smeared on major media platforms.”
Iasella said, “The media only covers issues relating to Republicans and Democrats.” Iasella used to be a Democrat but now feels that both parties are equally corrupt and supportive of war efforts.
Iasella said she “now supports the Green Party of the United Sates and supported Jill Stein, a member of the Green Party of the United States, when she ran for president.” Stein spoke at the rally and expressed the need for office holders who are against using tax dollars for war.
Suzanne Olsen, an anti-war activist who has been participating in marches since the Vietnam War, said that both the Democrats and Republicans “do not have their priorities straight.” She said she “hates seeing the U.S. pouring its blood and treasure into endless war around the world.”
The war in Yemen and the horrific conditions the citizens are under was a large focus of various speeches during the rally. Olsen brought up the war in Yemen and began to tear up. She said, “The people battling in Yemen are completely hopeless.”
