WASHINGTON, 28 February 2003 — More than one million calls have jammed US government telephone and fax lines as anti-war activists resorted to an information-age form of protest against war on Iraq planned by the administration of President George W. Bush, organizers said.
“The outpouring of support for tough inspections to disarm Saddam Hussein, and against an invasion and occupation of Iraq got through loud and clear,” pointed out Tom Andrews, the national director of Win Without War, a coalition of 32 mainstream organizations that sponsored what they called the Virtual March on Washington.
The protest kicked off early Wednesday when about 400,000 people, who had volunteered to take part, started calling the White House and the offices of senators and members of the House of Representatives to express their outrage over US plans to launch military action against Iraq, even without formal UN approval.
In addition, they sent their written petitions over fax lines, making it difficult for Washington bureaucrats to conduct everyday business.
“Americans want us to work with our allies through the United Nations to contain the threat from Iraq,” Andrews stressed.
The White House switchboard was jammed for hours — as were the phone lines of many lawmakers, particularly those who voted last October to support a congressional resolution authorizing the president to use force against Iraq to rid it of weapons of mass destruction.
At the office of California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who backed the resolution, the phones had been ringing off the hook since 7 a.m., according to her aides.
“As of 3 p.m. we received 3,043 calls opposing the war and 12 supporting, and about 700 calls to our district office,” said Howard Gantman, the communications director for Feinstein. “It was an extremely large volume.”
Some lawmakers were forced to abandon their regular phones altogether and rely all day on cellular connections.
Although the protesters could make their own statements, the coalition had offered them a form fax letter, which said Bush’s rush to war was “dangerous and unnecessary.”
“Going to war with Iraq will kill thousands of civilians and soldiers, create an atmosphere that breeds terrorists, and divert money from programs that can really create a safer and more just society,” the letter said.
The coalition Win Without War includes the National Council of Churches, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Sierra Club and other prominent civic group that support tough UN inspections to disarm Iraqi President Saddam Hussein but oppose a US invasion and occupation of Iraq.
However, a news opinion poll made public late Wednesday showed the protest was unlikely to make a dent in the administration’s plans.
