San Francisco, 18 January, 2003 --

An estimated 200,000 people joined the anti-war demonstration in San Francisco with a range of political views from liberal-conservative to communist. MIM is glad to see all these people opposing the war in Iraq. This opposition to the massacre of the Iraqi people for imperialist gain is progressive. But we have disagreements with some of the more popular reasons for opposing war in Iraq. And for this reason it is very important for communists to be out at these protests pushing people further in their political analysis, demonstrating that war is an inevitable part of imperialism, and engaging people in thinking globally.

Many protesters in San Francisco held signs proclaiming their patriotism, or demanding focus on domestic issues. One woman's sign read "Domestic issues first, No war" with Amerikan flags attached to the top of the sign. This sign promotes Amerikan chauvinism and an ignorance of the international oppression perpetuated by Amerika on a daily basis. There are certainly domestic issues that merit the focus of our attention, but not first, or to the exclusion of international issues. When the majority of the world's people are suffering at the hands of Amerikan imperialism, we can not afford to put domestic issues first. We have to tie domestic oppression to international oppression and demand no war for imperialism. This is why MIM is a communist party and not a single issue organization: we are able to focus on both crucial issues of domestic and international oppression at the same time.

Anarchists staged an "anti-capitalist" break-away march in San Francisco, joined by about 1000 angry activists who wanted to do more than just peacefully walk the streets while the U.$. prepares to murder tens of thousands of people in Iraq. While we disagree with their tactics, MIM shares their sentiment of urgency: if we don't take down the imperialist system soon it may well destroy all of humanity in its war-mongering frenzy. The anarchist "Black Block" contingent ran through the streets vandalizing symbolic buildings including the SF Chronicle (newspaper) office, Citicorp, Wells Fargo, the British Embassy, the INS building and Starbucks. In the end these protesters were dispersed by police with just two arrests. The vandalism included broken windows and graffiti proclaiming "no war." Some who participate in these breakaway actions proclaim their importance as a way to get media attention, but it is clear that the media paid more attention to the 200,000 people in the main rally. Focoist actions can be spectacular, but rarely involve educational work that will push more people to opposing imperialism. And in an imperialist country like the U.$., where the majority of the people do support their government and their country, actions such as these are used as an excuse for increase repression against activists.

Tying domestic and international oppression together MIM focused on two campaigns at the San Francisco rally. In the morning we collected signatures to demand amnesty for Professor Jose Maria Sison. We gathered about 75 signatures for this campaign, explaining to people that Sison is just one of many causalities on the so-called war on terrorism. Sison has played an important part in the national liberation struggle in the Philippines, leading the Unites $tates to labeled him a "terrorist." The United $tates convinced the Dutch government to follow suit, jeopardizing Sison's survival in exile in the Netherlands. (For more information on this campaign, or to sign a petition visit http://www.prisoncensorship.info/archive/etext/agitation/philippines).

After the march started we joined comrades with the Barrio Defense Committee and the Uhuru movement to collect petition signatures to shut down the Security Housing Units in California's prisons. We erected the mock-SHU that we used in previous demonstrations throughout the bay area, and explained to mostly sympathetic the rally participants the need to eliminate these torture units that house thousands of men in California. In about five hours we collected 700 signatures and distributed many flyers and MIM Notes describing the torture units used in California prisons.