JAN 18 SF Rally audio (4 hours LIVE KPFA)

MASSIVE MARCH AND RALLY SATURDAY JANUARY 18 in SAN FRANCISCO

KPFA Flashpoints broadcast from SF Civic Center Plaza

Saturday, Jan 18, 2003 - First Audio Segment (1PM to 3PM)
-1:00:00 music - Bob Marley and the Wailers
-1:01:04 Dennis Bernstein: introduction.. with co-host Hakim Basian of KPFA's Islam Today.
-1:06:55 Dennis: now w Puerto Rican activist, Professor Deborah Santana of Mills College.. on the latest round of US Navy bombing of Vieques Island
-1:11:33 (on stage)Gloria Uriba event organizer from the International Action Center
-1:15:02 Dennis: now with legendary farmworker Dolores Huerta.. Delores: about the state of California cuts medical, health care programs.. this war is affecting poor people.
-1:20:30 (on stage).. Palestinian Nora Aracot: (reads some powerful feminist Arab poetry).. Nora: THE INTIFADA WILL CONTINUE, WE WILL TAKE WHAT IS OURS, IT'S THE CRUSADES ALL OVER AGAIN.. THE INS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.. (Nora now reads an 'Ode To The INS')..
-1:28:00 (on stage).. Calif. State Senator John Burton (link2).. the marchers still coming.. we hope this rally stops the war.. about how full of shit the president is.. contrasting Iraq and North Korea.. the difference is oil.. we have to let the president know we are not going to war.. if we conserve in this country, we'll never have to go to war for oil..
-1:32:44 Dennis: now w Jenna Hota with Apex Express.. Jenna: the Bart stations were packed.. tremendous Korean drumming.. South Asians.. Hispanics.. I talked to people from all over the world..
-1:37:33 (on stage) Joan Baez.. sings a song.. Joan: (to the crowd) Thank you, you really look lovely.. I've seen some class A signs today.. now another song.. (sings)..
-1:44:20 Joan Biaz: sings 'Christmas in Washington'
-1:48:35 Dennis: now back with Randy Hayes of Rain Forest Action Network.. about the large environmental contigent here today.. Randy: on Holy Hill.. great to see environmental folk coming out.. this particular war in the Middle East will have global implications.. Dennis: the US knew those oil well fires would happen.. a for profit war.. Randy: Texas oil people in the White House.. I get really excited when I see so many new people.. we know Hussein is leading a roque nation, but Bush and Cheney are rogues running the US government..
-1:52:08 Dennis: now w Joan Baez: nice to have a win.. we have to talk to each other more.. this is extraordinary today.. Hatim: you did a song in Arabic.. Joan: movements must have music.. I would like to see more of it..
-1:56:16 (on stage) Walter Johnson of the SF Labor Council.. my message to the selected president of the US.. GET OUT OF OUR WAY..
-1:58:25 Dennis: now w Barbara Lubin of the Middle East Children's Alliance just back from Palestine.. Barbara: the West Bank environment in horrible shape.. the depleted uranium will live in the soil of Iraq for a million years.. about the great numbers of kids being born with defects.. we need to really talk about what is happening.. my heart is broken.. I worry about the existence of Palestine.. a wall going up, 20 feet high.. in one village, they have taken all the agricultural land and given it to Israel, and all three wells, the most fertile of the Palestinian land.. when I was staying in Dheishah, I would hear cars pull up in the middle of the night, and out would jump Israelis dressed as Arab men, they knock on doors, beat people, take away teenagers never to be heard from again.. about a new childrens' cemetary in Dheishah Camp.. I saw a grave of a young friend murdered by Israelis.. 26 graves already planted.. plus a dozen empty graves being dug by children, saying we want to be prepared to die.. Hatim: about the *delinking* of Palestine.. Barbara: unbelievable that we would have people not willing to criticize Israel.. IF WE CAN NOT SPEAK ABOUT THE ROLE ISRAEL PLAYS AND HAS PLAYED, WE'RE IN TROUBLE.. ISRAEL TRAINED AND SUPPORTED THE DEATH SQUADS IN EL SALVADOR, IN GUATEMALA.. ASSISTED APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA... we have to be honest once and for all.
-2:05:00 (on stage) actor and activist Martin Sheen.. Martin: You know what I do for a living, but this is what I do to stay alive.. we are here today to say 'No to War and Yes to Life'.. from hereforth may all our thoughts, words, and deeds be non-violence.. Martin: LET MY COUNTRY AWAKE!
-2:07:14 Dennis: now w actor Martin Sheen.. Martin: I would say to Bush, to really consider the effect of what he is contemplating on the children of Iraq.. we have to find a way to project our humanity.. that's the bottom line.. I don't think Mr Bush would be comfortable if *his* children were cowering under 2000 pound bombs.. Pope John Paul makes me proud to be a Catholic and Sean Penn makes me proud to be an actor.. we must never give up.. a higher power ruling the world, and we have to get in touch with that.. people are beginning to understand how little power we have.. once you surrender to a higher power, you become empowered.. this day, January 18, 2003, may be remembered historically as The Date America Woke Up.. and said, 'No to War and Yes to Life'.. I'm 62 years old and been silent too long, no more..
-2:13:44 (on stage) Lynn Woolsey: in honor of Dr. King, we shall resist the politics of fear.. Dennis: do you think this war can be stopped?.. Lynn: there is a statement being made, we do not want to go to war.. Dennis: hard for some people to believe.. because of Congress.. Lynn: 2/3 of Democrats voted no to the Iraq resolution.. about the possibility of a draft, will bring middle America into the debate..
-2:18:15 (on stage) East Bay House rep Barbara Lee: thank you my brothers and sisters, thank you for joining with people throughout the globe.. thank you.. today we come together to say No to the loss of innocent lives, to say No to a war on Iraq.. No to wasting hundreds of billions of dollars, that could go instead into education for our young people, for housing the homeless, for health care.. here to say YES TO PEACE.. George Bush has woken us up.. here today to say Yes to Martin Luther King, to say No to the real axis of evil: War, Poverty, and Racism.. King said: In the wasteland of war, expenditure knows no restraint.. Barbara: We're not going to stand for it.. we are fighting back, you are fighting back today.. it is not too late for this administration to heed our call.. it takes leadership to resolve conflict peacefully.. they should be leaders of the world.. it does not take leadership to drop bombs, to send our children off to fight and die.. thank you very much, it is you that is making them listen.. King showed us a better way.. you are showing us a better way.. we must eliminate racism throughout the world.. insidious that on Martin's birthday Bush came out against affirmative action.. finally, we are going to take back the White House in 2004 on behalf of the people of this country..
-2:30:37 Dennis: now w our glorious Congresswoman Barbara Lee.. Barbara: phenomenal to see this many people out here.. I was here in October, this is larger, and the diversity is broadening.. Dennis: about the attacks on our civil liberties.. Barbara: it is important to take back the house.. and file lawsuits, educate our cities.. Hatim: we thank you for what you did.. where is affirmative action going?.. Barbara: for George Bush to come out against affirmative action on Martin Luther King's birthday says a lot about their insensitivity.. our margins in Congress much smaller.. but the courts could go retro.. unbelievable how Bush has destroyed the economy in just two years.. but hard to get measures passed in this environment.. Hatim: about returning the draft?.. Barbara: I am against the draft, but the debate should take place.. are Bush, Cheney's, rich kids going to be on the front line?.. or poor kids?.. Dennis: about Trent Lott.. and a North Carolina congressman referred to Cynthia McKinney as a bitch.. what's going on?.. Barbara: Lott gave us an opportunity to confront racism.. Thanks to you Dennis and KPFA for being the voice of the people..
-2:41:44 (on stage) a Palestinian man asking you to donate to International Answer.. announcements.. today..
-2:43:12 Dennis: now with SF Bay area religious leader, Dorsey Nunn (sp?).. Dorsey: many people feel so alone, but when they come to protests like this and see so many others they feel unity.. a great feeling now of momentum.. about Bush's attack on affirmative action on MLK's birthday..
-2:45:17 (on stage) Bonnie Raitt.. reads poetry.. sings a song by James Taylor.. Bonnie: 350,000 folks here today..
-2:53:24 (on stage) Delores Huarta, the spitual leader of the United Farmworkers.. Delores: why can the poor tiny island of Cuba give free healthcare and housing to the people and not here?.. about Dorothy Day.. Caesar Chavez.. and Gandhi.. they did something special, they fasted.. and we can to that.. and send the money saved to International Answer.. (leads cheers for them).. VIVA FOR PEACE!..
-2:58:45 Dennis: interview with singer, songwriter Bonnie Raitt.. Bonnie: backstage old home week with Joan Biaz, Wavy Gravy

KPFA Flashpoints broadcast from SF Civic Center Plaza
Saturday, Jan 18, 2003 - Start Second Audio Segment (3PM to 3:40PM)

KPFA Flashpoints broadcast from SF Civic Center Plaza
Saturday, Jan 18, 2003 - Start Third Audio (3:40PM to 5PM)
-3:40:00 (on stage) Walter Turner of KPFA's Africa Today radio program.. Walter: about Dr. Martin Luther King's life.. about his message, and how it applies to today's events.
-3:47:07 Dennis Bernstein interview with two members of SUSTAIN about Caterpillar Corp bulldozers, US aid to Israel, US military aid to Israel, and how US aid to Israel could be better spent at home,
-3:54:52 (on stage) NOT IN OUR NAME CHANT
-3:55:50 (on stage) Willie Ratcliff, editor of the SF Bay View newspaper
-4:01:11 interview with Ai Mara of the Not In Our Name project.. about the protests against the INS Cevis special registration program, where Middle Eastern men are being arrested..
-4:07:00 Dennis: now w Richard Montoya of the Culture Clash musical group.. Richard: awesome and amazing to get off the Civic Center Bart and see 300,000 people here.. as Chicano folk, we are the new 'face of terror'.. that does something to you, and you must confront it.. putting the story of cabdrivers on stage.. in a couple weeks, at the San Jose Repertory Theater, we'll portray some of those people.. I'm pro marijuana and hemp advocate.. artists have to start politicizing our work.. CNN is counting down to war.. 20 playwrights went to Palestine last month.. our role now is to do everything we can to turn around this madness.. a lot of well off Hispanics are happy with the status quo, but a growing number of Latina and Latino are taking a more progressive stance.. about Rage Against the Machine.. about coming over the Altamont pass today, KPFA intermixing with a football show, it was totally bizarre, a true culture clash going on in American today.. Dennis: about the media turning the American flag into a pompom.. my father was a WWII vet and he would never have done that.. Richard: in every bar, people want to know, where is your patriotism.. my patriotism is here today.. Dennis: when I see the word patriotism I see the word 'riot' in the middle.. the administration trying to stir up a riot alright..
-4:25:40 Dennis: there are easily over 150,000 people here, the cops saying 40,000.. Anita: if the media prints that tomorrow, the people need to make their case..
-4:27:44 Dennis: now w Tony Gonzales, of the American Indian Movement.. Dennis: I heard recently that the exalted founder of Amherst College had the original idea to give smallpox blankets to the Indians.. Tony: we were the first vitims of biological warfare, and continue to be the first victims and the guinea pigs for subsequent weapon development, including the hundreds of nuclear bombs detonated on Indian lands in Nevada and elsewhere.. about the issue of 'traditional knowledge'.. and about the stealing of knowledge by the biotech and medical industries.. and about all the little gestures that have been lost.. Dennis: the US getting ready to make war on the cradle of civilization.. do you see a connection?.. Tony: I participated in Vietnam.. an outdated process promoted by warmakers.. a nation that feels inferior, but has superior weapons, will sometimes not hestitate to destroy the other.. like Europeans did to Native Americans.. this is probably a similar effort.. to destroy the cradle of civilization..
-4:37:20 Anita: thanks to all our speakers.. and to Rainjita Geesler here since early today..
-4:38:05 now w Willie Ratcliff Jr. of the SF Bay View Newspaper.. and w J.R., an editor of the newspaper, and member of Prisoners of Conscience Committee.. and w Rich Black, rap artist and poet.. Willie: we should have been doing this before that yahoo stole the election.. if this crowd had stood up against the voiding of the black vote.. JR: the state in a huge budget deficit, a million people might get cut off health care.. yet a proposal to build another prison.. Willie: to put depleted uranium in shells and drop it on other people, and it blows back on our young men, mostly poor, mostly black and Latino.. war been going here against black people for 400 years.. and it impacts everybody, white people too.. Rich: we definitely have got to get active.. to impact peoples lives positively.. people need to do the work to stop this war, and end corruption in City Hall.. about Puchinelli, a corrupt and violent cop in the Bay View neighborhood of SF.. more info: see the SF Bay View Newspaper
-5:00:00 End today's show. today's review by john lionheart