By Joanne Gamlin Santa Monica
Impression from my very first peace march: It seemed like a long, Sherman-like march, all the way from the southern tip of Pershing Square in downtown L.A. to the downtown Federal Building. And it began after standing around Sunday in the square, listening to speeches for 45 minutes to an hour. Although I am familiar with Westwood’s Federal Building, I was not acquainted with the downtown structure and for that reason I asked myself at every gleaming, well maintained high-rise we passed, “Is this the Federal Building?” Finally we had arrived at Los Angeles and Main streets, I sunk down in exhaustion in the 88-degree heat. “Do you need water?” asked a kind stranger.
Other impressions of the march: There is a small peace movement in conservative Orange County. For proof, turn to www.ocpeace.org <http://www.ocpeace.org>. There is also an impression that peace marchers are against U.S. troops. Yet there were numerous signs declaring, “Support our troops; bring them home.”
Still most marchers are against the war. Other signs carried a picture of an 6 to 8-year-old girl, obviously injured, with the stinging comment: “Collateral damage.” For all that the march was peaceful and there were no arrest.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 5, 2003. Read the original PDF.