In response to George W. Bush’s assault on Iraq, demonstrators set out to shut down cities around the United States on the first day of the invasion. In San Francisco, for example, anarchists and other protesters successfully blockaded the financial district while a black bloc attacked army recruiting stations. Police responded by arresting 2200 people in that city alone.
Had we succeeded in stopping the invasion of Iraq, we would have saved hundreds of thousands of lives, likely preventing the rise of the Islamic State and countless other tragedies. If we had fought harder, it would have been worth it, even if the consequences had been severe.
This is the poster we circulated to promote the day of action that took place on March 20, 2003. Let us never underestimate the stakes of our struggles.