Behind the Anti-War Movement

Paper Summary:

The paper provides a brief overview of the movement against the Iraq War as it has manifested itself in the U.S. since 2003. The paper looks at mainstream media coverage of public rallies, focusing on a report in the Los Angeles Times and a report from Reuters. The paper discusses the ANSWER media savvy organizing group that is rarely noted in mainstream media coverage of public rallies but which has a large role in sponsoring them. The paper thus shows how a mainstream news source omits small pieces of information that can have a significant effect on the interpretation of the news story.

From the Paper:

"The first protests against the Iraq War actually began just prior to the onset of the war itself, at a time when it was becoming clear that the military preparations and intensified propaganda leading up to the invasion had passed a point of no return. In March of 2003, mass protests in both the United States and Britain, denominated the "World Says No to War" protests, attracted approximately 500,000 marchers nationwide. Since then the movement has had its ups and downs, but generally been able to sponsor large turnouts near the anniversary dates of the invasion (March of each year.) Many have commentated that this level of organization and turnout is remarkable given the lack of a military draft, which in past times (notably the Vietnam war) has substantially enlivened anti-war movements (Garfinkle.)"

Sample of Sources Used:

• "A.N.S.W.E.R." Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 16 March 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.N.S.W.E.R.
• "Answer Coalition." Public Information Pamphlet. Answer Coaltion 2007.
• Bohan, Caren. "Thousands march to protest Iraq war." Reuters, 17 March 2007. http://tinyurl.com/2a763s.
• Fiore, Fay and Adam Schreck. "Antiwar activists march in D.C." Los Angeles Times, 18 March 2007. http://tinyurl.com/376sj5.
• Garfinkle, Adam. Telltale Hearts: The Origins and Impact of the Vietnam Anti-War Movement. NY: MacMillan 1997.

More papers on Behind the Anti-War Movement:

• Analytical Essay # 132491 : "Behind the Anti-War Movement"
• Essay # 64943 : "The Anti-War Movement of the 1960s"
• Essay # 35581 : "Anti Vietnam War Movement"

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