Here's another article about the march by Miriam Raftery.
It was published in the East County Californian, but they don't have
an online edition, so Miriam gave her permission to post the whole thing here.

Miriam traveled along with the SD contingent.

October 6th, 2005
East County Californian

LOCAL RESIDENTS JOIN MASSIVE PEACE MARCH IN
WASHINGTON D.C.

By Miriam Raftery

At least 135 San Diego County residents, including
many from East County, joined a crowd of more than
300,000 peace activists in Washington D.C. on
September 24th to participate in the largest peace march
and rally since the Viet Nam War.   The march was part
of a three-day session of peace-related activities,
including rallies, training sessions for activists,
and legislative lobbying on Capitol Hill.

"The direction our country is going in is scary,"
said Lakeside resident Dawn Laeske, a single
mother of two children.  "That is why I am here."
Fernando de Solar of Escondido, carried a sign with his son's
name and photo.  "He was my only son," said Solar.

Lance Corporal Jesus A. Suarez de Solar was the
fifth American soldier killed in the Iraq War.  Since
then, more than 1,950 other U.S. soldiers have died
and over 16,000 have been seriously wounded. Solar
marched with a contingent of 600 to 700 members of
Military Families Speak Out, including 100 military
family members from San Diego County.

Since his son's death, Solar has founded the
Guerrero Azteca project, an organization dedicated to
preventing more young people from dying in the war.
"We are going to see our Congressional lobby," he said when
asked of  his plans for the remainder of his stay
in Washington.  "We are going to make a petition
to stop recruitment in high schools, end the
occupation and  bring our troops home now." Solar, who
has traveled to Iraq, plans a return trip to
bring medicine for Iraqi children.

Marchers came from all across America and
reflected all ages, ethnic, racial and economic
backgrounds. A group of Hurricane Katrina survivors
and supporters participated in the march and in a
rally at the ellipse in front of the White House.
Many faulted the Bush administration
for spending vast sums to fund the Iraq War while
refusing to fund levee repairs or provide help for the poor.

"From Iraq to New Orleans, we see devastation going
on," George Martin, co-chair of United for Peace and Justice
Coalition, a cosponsor of the march, told the crowd.
"We want our money from Iraq to support the people
of New Orleans."

Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-Georgia) told the
crowd, "A cruel wind blows across America."  She
accused the Bush administration of "criminal incompetence
in protecting our security," noting that the Iraq War
was started "on deliberately falsified evidence.As bodies
lay in the New Orleans Superdome, military recruiters were
in the Houston Astrodome to reap the harvest."

But she added, "It doesn't have to be this way. The
people united can stop this war of injustice
and indifference." The crowd chanted, "Impeach Bush!" Nearby,
San Diego County resident Judy Hess volunteered at
the Impeach Bush booth, collecting signatures on an
impeachment petition. "Most of the people I
encountered wanted to sign up," she said in an
e-mail sent to members of the Eastlake Bonita Democratic
Club.  "The most impressive sight I saw was the little
old lady pushing her wheelchair. Her volunteer materials lay
on the seat of her chair as she moved about to
collect signatures. It was humbling. People began
arriving, first in a dribble, then in streams,
finally in torrents."

Rev. Jesse Jackson introduced Cindy Sheehan,
likening her to civil rights activist Rosa Parks.
"It's a long road," he told the crowd, "but
keep on marching!" Sheehan, mother of slain
soldier Casey Sheehan, energized the crowd when
she took the stage.  Her month-long vigil
outside President Bush's ranch in Crawford,
Texas, has focused national attention on the
growing anti-war movement.

"You're part of history," Sheehan told supporters,
then urged that the Bush administration be held
accountable for its actions. "We're going to Congress,"
she revealed, "and we're going to ask `How
many of other people's children are you going to sacrifice?"

Aproximately 100 pro-war counter-protesters
participated in the march. "The majority of these
people are anarchists and Maoists," said
Kevin, a member of Protest Warriors who declined
to give his last name. "They are taking the side of
terrorism, not democracy."

Pro-war protesters were dwarfed in number by the
massive crowd voicing anti-war sentiments.  The
march continued for nearly five hours, with people
joining in late due to a shut-down of trains in the Northeast
and problems with a metro line.

People like Francine (who asked that her last name
not be published), the wife of a National Guardsman
called back to active duty under the  stop-loss
provision. Or Douglas Drake of New York City, who carried
a sign reading "Bring my niece home now."

"She was just out of high school," Drake said,
adding that his niece was told she would receive
special training.  "The recruiters promised her
a $35,000 scholarship..They said she would never
be deployed to the combat zone.  A week later,
she was shipped off to Iraq."

Nathan Ivy, a student forced to evacuate from
Tulane University in New Orleans, joined in the march
along with his father, Ron.  "Now the University is gone,"
he said.

Ron Ivy noted that the Viet Nam anti-war
movement began with a small gathering outside
President Lyndon B. Johnson's ranch in Texas. "That's
what Cindy is doing," is said of Sheehan. Glancing
around at the massing crowd of anti-war activists,
he expressed hope that public pressure may
compel the administration to end the Iraq War as well.
"I think this is the beginning of the end."

Hundreds of thousands assembled after the
march to hear a concert at the Washington monument.
Shortly before taking the stage, Joan Baez spoke with the
East County Californian.  "Cynthia Sheehan has freed people
to follow their instincts," the singer observed.
"Everybody knows this war was wrong."

On Sunday the 25th, some area residents
attended training sessions on political lobbying
and attended sessions led by members of
Congress and nationally-known activists, including
Sheehan. On Monday the 26th, activists had two
options: meet with their Congressional representatives
on Capitol Hill, or participate in a second march
culminating in acts of civil disobedience at the
White House.

Solar and Hess joined a group of 35 San Diego
County residents in lobbying meetings with staff members
of several legislators, including Senators Barbara Boxer
and Diane Feinstein. The group also included physicians,
a labor union activist, and actress Mimi Kennedy of Dharma
and Gregg TV show fame.

"We all had an opportunity to speak," Hess noted in
her e-mail, adding that Feinstein's staffers "got an earful
from us" for her support of the war.

At Senator Boxer's office, Hess recalled, "We strongly
encouraged her in her support of the No Permanent Bases in
Iraq, Get a Timetable to get out of Iraq quickly, and Get
the Recruiters out of our Schools legislation."

Others opted to join a solemn procession of 1,000 to 1,500
peace activists led by Cindy Sheehan and approximately
two dozen clergy members. Each carried
a placard bearing the name of a dead U.S. soldier
or Iraqi. Drumbeats, a tolling bell, and the wail
of sirens created a somber mood as the procession
approached the White House gates.   Many in the group
had decided to engage in civil disobedience,
a tactic that has been used to draw attention to the
civil rights movement and anti-war movements in the past.

"We intend to pray.  Pray to stop the war," said
Father Joseph Nangle, a Catholic priest from Washington D.C.
"I intend to be arrested, if they arrest us.  We're
pressing the issue because this is so urgent. This is the
wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Sheehan hung flowers bearing her son's name on
the White House gate. Her requests to speak to President
Bush and to deliver the names of fallen soldiers
were refused.  Sheehan, joined by supporters from
Camp Casey and other peace activists, sat down and
refused to move. Police arrested 370 people, who were
charged with misdemeanor trespassing.
Most opted to pay a small fine and were released a
few hours later.

Among them was Barbara Cummings, a Spring
Valley grandmother who spent a month at Camp Casey in
Crawford, Texas and later helped Sheehan disperse supplies to
Hurricane Katrina survivors.  As busses were
brought to hold the arrested protesters, Cummings
called into an Air America radio show and also spoke
with the East County Californian. Those arrested
continued to press for accountability from the
administration, she revealed. "Now they are chanting,
Where were the busses in New Orleans?'"

Martha Sullivan of Poway was also arrested,
but has no  regrets. "I'm very proud,
she said after her release the next morning.
"There were some tearful moments, not because
we were afraid, but because we felt empowered to be
exercising our constitutional rights under the
First Amendment."