Report from Paris

Despite intense pressure from the Bush administration, French President Jacques Chirac continues to maintain that France will veto a United Nations Security Council resolution authorizing a war in Iraq. Today, I witnessed firsthand why Chirac maintains his firm antiwar stance.

I joined with hundreds of thousands of people who poured into the streets of Paris to protest against a war in Iraq. A veritable rainbow coalition of peace partisans — Africans, Arabs, whites and Asians — marched from a square on the Right Bank of the Seine River and converged on the Place de la Bastille (Plaza of the Bastille) on the Left Bank, chanting, "Non a la guerre! Oui, a la paix!" (No to war! Yes to peace!) Thousands more lined the march route clapping and chanting as the peace procession passed by.

The demonstration was the third protest against a war in Iraq to be organized in Paris in the last four months, and by far the largest. Peace rallies were also organized in 72 other cities and towns in France.

At the front of the march, national and local politicians of all political stripes registered the consensus of the French government — that stepped-up inspections, not war, is the best way to disarm Iraq. Behind them, a group of United States citizens living in Paris walked under the banner of "Americans Against the War." And in the crowd were people from 200 cities and towns in France and from many dozens of organizations.

"I am here because I'm against this stupid war. There is no reason at all for Bush to go war," said Alain Valma, a demonstrator from Paris. "In Europe, most of the people don't want this war. All these peace demonstrations are going to help the antiwar coalition in Europe to resist Bush."

Recent polls reveal that over 75% of the French people oppose a war with Iraq, even a war supported by the United Nations. Similar percentages appear in polls throughout Europe.

The massive demonstration was coordinated by Mouvement de la Paix (Peace Movement), a 54-year-old national peace organization. Seventy-five other organizations were part of the coordinating committee, including national trade unions, political parties, student organizations, Arab organizations and peace groups.

"The peace movement is very alive. The size of this demonstration is more than double the size of last month's march," said Brigitte Loigerot, an organizer for Mouvement de la Paix. "We believe that it will have a great impact on [President] Chirac. We expect that he will use his veto right at the United Nations."

Arielle Denis, co-president of Mouvement de la Paix, says the organization plans to keep up the pressure on Chirac. For International Women's Day on March 8, the antiwar coalition Denis heads will sponsor events featuring prominent women who are against the war to highlight the impact a war would have on the women of Iraq.

"Despite the Bush administration's efforts to isolate France for daring to threaten to veto a war resolution, the antiwar demonstrations that occurred today in Europe, the United States and throughout the world have underscored the growing isolation of the United States government," Denis said. "There now exists the possibility to stop a war in Iraq before it starts."