Author
WSQT Radio 87.9 FM in DC
On March 19th, antiwar activists put into effect our new strategy by marching to Fayettsville, NC(home of Ft Bragg, 10,000 GI's in Iraq, and 20,000 Iraq veterans) to support antiwar GI's, antiwar military families, and others there who are opposing the war.
Although there were problems with the rally(mainly the organizer's caving to police demands for checkpoints), this was the largest protest in Fayettsville since the Vietnam War.
Vetnam Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, and several other groups supportign GI Resistance bottom-lined the action.
Surveillance from MPs and other military authorities was intense, even though we did not approach Ft Bragg itself. I guess they wanted to know how many national "big-shot' organizers are coming South to encourage GI's on their base to refuse to go to Iraq!
In addition to the antiwar protest, I and several others noticed a nearly destroyed downtown, with all stores either abandoned or brand new. We soon found out why: Wal-Mart had taken over most of the town's business.
Fayettsville is a lot like Anacostia would be if you replaced Black skin with white and jail/prison with the military. Same poverty and utter lack of resources.I saw one man diligently working on his house-which has almost no paint left on bare wood. It had not just been sanded or scraped, just peeled off.
Some thanks the people of Fayettsville get for their sacrifices in Uncle Sam's