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Originally Posted by CBC
Thousands pack D.C. to protest Iraq war
Last Updated: Saturday, January 27, 2007 | 5:35 PM ET
CBC News
Tens of thousands converged on Washington, D.C., on Saturday in a spirited anti-war demonstration that drew military families, celebrities and ordinary people calling for the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.
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Marching with them was Jane Fonda, in what she said was her first anti-war demonstration in 34 years.
"Silence is no longer an option," Fonda said to cheers from the stage on the National Mall.
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Fonda drew parallels to the Vietnam War, citing "blindness to realities on the ground, hubris … thoughtlessness in our approach to rebuilding a country we've destroyed."
But she noted that this time, veterans and soldiers in uniform are increasingly and vocally protesting.
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"After we went to Iraq, I began to see through the lies," she said.
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The protest came on the same day as the U.S. military reported the deaths of seven more American soldiers in Iraq.
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In the past week, U.S. President George W. Bush and his administration made it clear that they intend to push ahead with their plan to send more soldiers to Iraq in spite of opposition in Congress and the public.
Mid-terms showed Americans oppose war plans: protester
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Polls show that not only do most Americans oppose the war, but they also think the situation is getting worse. About 70 per cent of Americans disagree with the decisions the president has made during the war as commander-in-chief.
"Is impeachment still off the table? Let's get him out of office," said actor and activist Tim Robbins as the crowd on the Mall chanted "Impeach Bush."
The rally unfolded peacefully, although about 300 protesters tried to rush the Capitol Building, running up the grassy lawn to its front. Police on motorcycles tried to stop them, scuffling with some and barricading entrances.
United for Peace and Justice, a coalition group sponsoring the protest, had hoped 100,000 people would come. Police, who no longer give official estimates{???}, said privately the crowd was smaller than that.
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