East Harlem Leaders Protest The War

New York, NY – Spanish Harlem was well-represented at a stirring anti-war protest in Washington, DC on Saturday, January 27th.

Forty-five local residents traveled south to the nation's capital, in a trip sponsored by State Senator José M. Serrano (D-Manhattan/Bronx) and Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito (D-District 8, Manhattan).

"The tragedies of the Iraq War are not just a world way. They are close to home, many times in low-income and minority communities," said Councilmember Mark-Viverito.

The East Harlem peace contingent joined tens of thousands of concerned citizens on the National Mall to protest President George W. Bush's failed policy in the Middle East.

The march, organized by United for Peace and Justice, drew individuals and organizations from all around the country. Their message was clear: end the war in Iraq and bring home our troops.

To date, the war has claimed the lives of more than 3,000 U.S. soldiers. Estimates for Iraqi dead range anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000. Last year alone, 34,000 Iraqi civilians were killed in what many are now calling Civil War.

U.S. taxpayers have doled out more than $360 billion dollars to fund the war, according to the National Priorities Project.

"That money should have been spent on public education and affordable health care, new housing units and a better environment," said Senator Serrano. "Instead we have wasted live and money on misadventure. This has to end."