Protesters outside the recruiting center (Photo: Thomas Good / Next Left Notes)
New York, NY – August 18, 2007. Emotion was palpable at the Washington Heights protest on Saturday, August 18. A sea of young faces, the majority of the protest contingent, complimented some familiar faces from a number of Left formations – that don’t often work together. A boistrous rally at Bennett Park preceded a militant march to Highbridge Park. Along the march route, protesters stopped at the home of a fallen soldier from the Heights for a moment of silence. A bit further on, the Army recruiting center was surrounded by bullhorn wielding youth as passersby and police looked on. The march resumed and paused yet again at the home of another lost son from the neighborhood. The marchers had clearly had enough of the military preying on their friends and neighbors. Shoppers and other community members who ventured out on a beautiful New York City day expressed solidarity with those who took to the streets to denounce the military’s attempt to hustle their sisters and brothers – offering a war in Iraq under the guise of a college education and financial security. NLN was there and captured the moment in video and photographs. It was an event that inspired all present.
