PASADENA, Calif. — Environmentalists and peace activists united under the umbrella group “Environmentalists Against the War” to hold a vigil at one of the busiest intersections here, Lake Avenue and the 210 Freeway, from 5-7 p.m. on Sept. 21, as part of the national Iraq Moratorium day.
The 20 or so participants in the rush-hour action passed out leaflets titled “Fight climate change, not wars for oil” to passers-by and to motorists who stopped at the traffic lights. People honked their car horns in support, waved, gave the thumbs-up sign or flashed the peace sign. At times, four, five or more horns were honking all at once.
Organizers estimated that several thousand people saw participants’ signs, and the response was hugely supportive.
Participants in the action came from the Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy, Audubon Society, Eaton Canyon Nature Center, MoveOn, No War No Warming, Foothills Peace Coalition, Coalition for World Peace, United for Peace and Justice, U.S. Labor Against the War and Code Pink.
Immediately after the vigil, some of the participants went to a nearby theater to watch a showing of “In the Valley of Elah,” a new film about the Iraq war. Viewers said the movie is a searing indictment of what war does to people, brilliantly illustrating the popular bumper-sticker slogan, “War is not the answer.”
Vigil participants are gearing up for the next Iraq Moratorium, set for Friday, Oct. 19. For more information about these nationwide actions, visit iraqmoratorium.org.
paulkrehbiel @earthlink.net
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