[Marxism] A War Protest Falls Short in Manhattan : NYT

[Ruthless Critic of All that Exists]

"The protest marking the fifth anniversary of the war fell short.

There were huge gaps a block or so west of where Ms. Kielson spoke, at
the south end of Union Square. Organizers asked passers-by, "Hello,
would you like to join the peace line for a second?" On many blocks,
there were more people waiting at bus shelters than demonstrators.

Ms. Kielson said her group was a 75-member coalition of unions,
religious organizations and neighborhood groups. She said that in
contrast to protests against the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War and
the early stages of this war, large groups of students from Columbia,
New York University and other institutions did not turn out Saturday.

For the most part, the demonstrators were parents with children,
middle-aged people or older protesters with long white hair tucked
underneath berets or bandannas with antiwar buttons.

Jonathan Fluck, 53, an actor from Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, who attended
the protest, was frustrated. The war is "so under the radar, it's like
it's not happening," he said. "

Full: <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/nyregion/23protest.html?ref=nyregion>