'Virtual March' against war overwhelms Congress

Salt shakers
March 2003

'Virtual March' against war overwhelms Congress
Over 1 million phone calls and faxes sent a clear message to Congress on February 26 say organizers of an Internet "virtual march" on Washington: Use tough inspections and work with allies through the UN to disarm Saddam Hussein; don't invade and occupy Iraq.

"The outpouring of support for tough inspections to disarm Saddam Hussein and against an invasion and occupation of Iraq got through loud and clear today," said former Congressman Tom Andrews, National Director of Win Without War, a coalition of mainstream organizations that sponsored the internet e-campaign against war. "Americans want us to work with our allies through the United Nations to contain the threat from Iraq.

"Well over one million phone calls were made in just eight hours by people from every state in the country. Every Senator's office and the White House switchboard received at least two and often more calls per minute. Many callers had to settle for busy signals,” he added.

The Virtual March on Washington was conceived by Win Without War, a coalition of 32 organizations including the National Council of Churches, MoveOn.org, the NAACP, NOW, and the Sierra Club, that supports tough United Nations inspections to disarm Saddam Hussein and opposes a U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. The Virtual March's goal was to enable hundreds of thousands of Americans to have their voices heard in Washington without leaving their homes and workplaces, using their phones, faxes and emails.

"We knew that so many people who don't participate in demonstrations would take the opportunity, by letting their fingers do the marching, to send a clear message to their senators and the president. Our support is clearly growing as the American people begin to reject the administration's arguments for war," Andrews concluded.

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