<nettime> New York City demonstration against war in Iraq 2/15/2003

[ronda@ais.org (Ronda Hauben)]

Brief Report from the NYC anti war demonstration February 15, 2003

The NYC goverment wouldn't allow a march. 

Thus in New York City today there was a demonstration but not a march.

There were alot of people, some said between 70,000 and 1 millions.

There many homemade signs and people all ages and sizes and shape.

But the treatment of people in NYC shows that democracy is not
something the US federal government or NYC government have any 
respect for.

People lined first avenue, from the around 51st to the mid 80s.

There were people lining second avenue and third avenue and
Lexington.

But people were kept from seeing each other.

And there were reports that police on horseback hurt demonstrators
on third avenue and on Lexington Avenue.

Most of the people who had come from all around New York City and 
other cities and states around the US were kept from getting to 
the demonstration on First Avenue.

The march was a victory despite the police tactics in NYC and the federal 
and city officials who were allowed by the U.S. federal district court to 
prevent a march in New York City.

But the treatment of the demonstrations in New York City on February
15, 2003 showed that the U.S. government and the New York City government
have no interest in supporting democracy at home or abroad.


Below is a leaflet about netizens and communication and the war against
Iraq given out at the march. 

"Communication Not Annihilation,  No War on Iraq.  Netizens Unite"

Today's marches around the world demonstrate the power of the Netizens.  
There is a need for global communication to be utilized to solve the
enormous problems in our modern world. More citizens and netizens around
the world can now participate in helping each other to solve what
otherwise would be impossible difficulties.

What is a Netizen?

The concept of Netizen grew out of research online in 1992-1993. This was
before the commercialization of the Internet. Contrary to popular
mythology the numbers of people connecting to the Internet was growing by
large numbers each year. There began to be Free-Nets springing up to
provide community people with access to the Internet.

A student doing online research, Michael, writes:

 "The story of Netizens is an important one. In conducting research . . .  
online to determine people's uses for the global computer communications
network, I became aware that there was a new social institution, an
electronic commons, developing. It was exciting to explore this new social
institution. Others online shared this excitement. I discovered from those
who wrote me that the people I was writing about were citizens of the Net,
or Netizens."
                        from Preface to "Netizens: On the History and 
                        Impact of Usenet and the Internet"
                        http://www.columbia.edu/~hauben/netbook/

The Internet was making it possible for people who got access to
communicate with others around the world. And there were people online who
did what they could to connect others to the Internet and to make the
Internet something valuable for people around the world. The student
documented this development in his paper "The Net and Netizens: The Impact
the Net has on People's Lives".

The paper was posted online in 1993. The concept of Netizen spread round
the world and has been adopted by many who continue to contribute to the
development of the Internet as a global commons and to spread access to
the global communication the Internet makes possible.

We need the vision of the Internet and the Netizen, that both its early
pioneers and the users that the student in 1992/3 found online, have
embodied. This is as a network of networks linking people around the globe
where online users act as netizens helping to solve the problems of the
Internet and of the society.

People online and people who aren't online, can help to make the vision of
the Internet pioneers and users a reality. We don't want war in Iraq. We
don't want war in North Korea or Iran. We don't want war against the
Palestinians. We want to communicate with each other and collaborate
together to have the wealth of society go to its people so that the better
world that is now possible, becomes a reality. It's a hard and difficult
struggle. But with lots of netizens around the world, we can forge a
better world.

Long live the Netizens Long live the Iraqi People Long live the American
People Long live the peace loving people everywhere

Let us honor the memory of those who have perished in the struggle.

NETIZENS UNITE AND SPREAD THE INTERNET SO EVERYONE HAS ACCESS

Let us continue to take up the challenge to make the Internet a global
commons that all can contribute to and build.

Dedicated to Michael (1973-2001). I have written this to honor his memory
and to try to continue his contributions to make the world a better place.
                                              Ronda     ronda@panix.com

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