March 20 – Global Day of Action Against Imperialist War and Occupation!

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March 20 – Global Day of Action Against Imperialist War and Occupation!

A Call for Solidarity with Iraqi People Addressed to the International Community

Millions demonstrated on every continent on Saturday, the first anniversary of the Anglo-US aggression against Iraq, demanding an end to imperialist war and occupation. The Day of Action had been endorsed by the Global Assembly of the Anti-War Movement, the World Social Forum and the 3rd Hemispheric Gathering Against the FTAA, as well as hundreds of organisations worldwide.

More than 100,000 people, representing a complete cross-section of the people, marched through central London behind the banner "No More War – End the Occupation of Iraq". See tomorrow’s WDIE for a full report.

- March 19, 2004 -

The following statement, already signed by 37 Iraqi organisations and individuals, was initiated by the International Occupation Watch Centre in Baghdad (www.occupationwatch.org). It is a call for solidarity from Iraqis now under occupation for one year.

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The troops that occupy our country have brought neither the security nor the freedom and prosperity that were allegedly their objectives. On the contrary, Iraqi people continue to suffer from unemployment, from crumbling infrastructure and from poverty. Human rights are vitiated. Here, women and children are arrested without being charged, and innocent civilians are killed randomly. American troops have brought only destruction and terrorism to Iraq. They have initiated chaos, and the division and disintegration of the country.

For more than three decades, Iraqi people have suffered only too much, first under a bloody dictatorship, then under a criminal embargo and now under occupation. During each period, it was the same countries and the same governments that supported the dictatorship, that organised the sanctions, and that now occupy this country.

It is time for us to return to the path of freedom and peace. It is time that our country recovers its independence, and that the Iraqi people are able to freely determine their own future, without imposition, intervention or hegemony. It is time for the occupation to end, and for American troops and their allies to leave.

The demonstrations that will take place internationally on March 20 aim to support our right to freedom and to independence. They will follow demonstrations in Iraq that will be held on March 19, during which Iraqis of all faiths and ethnicities will walk together to express their will to be rid of the occupation and to live together, with the same rights.

And in spite of the catastrophe that Iraqi people are living, we will also walk for our Palestinian and Chechnyan brothers and for all oppressed peoples. We want a free Iraq in a world of justice, delivered from the demons of imperialism, colonialism and racism.

This peaceful march is also a call for international solidarity on this anniversary of the war and invasion of Iraq. We need to hear your voices.

We need to hear that the people of the world stand in solidarity against the occupation.

For a free and independent Iraq...

No to dictatorship!
No to terrorism!
No to occupation!

Initial signatures:

Movement of the Panabic Current
Democrat Reform Party
Imam Al khalissy University
Irak Our Home Gathering
Christian Democrat Party
Iraqi Turkmenian Movement
Gathering of tribes of Nynawah/Ahmed Ali Al Ali
United Labors Unions
Unity Forum
Tribes of Al Sadr City
Al Sheikh Zamal Finjan El Attawany
The Diwan assembly of the Al Sheik Jabar Hussein Al Khazragy
Al Imam Sistani Bureau/ El Hurrayh/ El Sheikh Hassan Al Sudani
Al Shaid Al Sdr Bureau/Bagdad/ El Sheikh Safa Al Timmymy
The Islamic Bloc/ Sheikh Mohamed El Alosy
Muslim Oulema Comitee
Ayatollah El Sheikh Abd Alridha Al Jazairi/ Bassorah
Liberation Party/ Dr Azzam
Nassyrien Socialist Party
United Islamic Movement
Ayatollah Sheikh Kassem Al Tai
Sheikh Moyed Al Athamy
Islamic Movement/ Akram Kassem
Sheikh Zoba Thiab El Irssam on behalf of Zobaa tribes
Sheikh Khaziraj Amr El Khaziraji on behalf of Khaziraj tribes
Sheikh Albu Mohamed on behalf of Albu tribes
Sheikh Hashem Surrot
Sheikh Salah Farik al Faroon / Al fatla families
United Nassyrien Party/ Zaydan Khalaf
Ayatollah El Sayyed Ahmed El Hassani El Bagdadhi/ Najaf
Ibrahim El Moudharessi
Comitee of Religious Alim of Iraq
Islamic Unity Movement/ Abdel Satar Jabar Ayoub/ Bagdad
National Unity Movement/Dr Ahmed El kobeyssy/ Dr Abdelrazac El Hity
Between Two River Assyrien Party
Turkman People Party
Iraqi National Democratic Current / khodr al azzawi