10-01-05, 8:34 am
Open Letter of Protest And Condemnation
Two and a half years since the imperialist invasion of Iraq by the USA and its allies, the victims of the occupation now number in thousands. Along with the crimes committed on a daily basis by the occupation forces in Iraq, the authoritarian stance towards those who oppose and stand against war is on the increase in the USA itself.
We, the undersigned mass social organisations of Greece, express our strong protest at the continuing authoritarian, arrogant policy of the US administration and authorities towards peace demonstrators who oppose the dirty war and occupation of Iraq.
We specifically condemn the arrest of dozens of peace supporters who demonstrated within the framework of three-day events held against the war (24-26 September, Washington), including Cindy Sheehan, the mother of an American soldier killed in Iraq. Cindy Sheehan and hundreds of other soldiers' parents joined the huge demonstration-300.000 strong- held on 24th September 2005 in the US capital, demanding an immediate end to the war and occupation, with the unconditional withdrawal of the troops. The response to this was police strong-arm tactics, arrests and attempt to silence the demonstrators.
The cynicism and hypocrisy of the US administration cause anger and indignation. On the one hand we see the crude, barbaric military invasion and ongoing occupation of Iraq and on the other the necessary complement to its policy, which is the authoritarianism and the trampling on even those basic rights enshrined in the US Constitution.
We demand the immediate and unconditional release of those who were demonstrating against the war. We join our voices to those of the millions of demonstrators worldwide, demanding that an end be put to this dirty war here and now and that all foreign troops be returned to their countries.
We express our militant solidarity with the anti-war peace movement in the USA and the people of Iraq, who are the first victims of the occupation.
Athens 28th September 2005
The Greek Committee for International Detente and Peace (EEDYE) The Federation of Greek Women (OGE) The Greek Committee for International Democratic Solidarity (EEDDA) The Democratic Movement for Popular Liberties and Solidarity
