Anti-war march recalls 1963 march for jobs and freedom

Sparta — The Northwest Jersey Peace Fellowship will join other members of the Peace and Justice Coalition for a march in Newark on Aug. 25. The march was set to be almost 44 years to the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his speech, “I Have a Dream.” The Peace and Justice Coalition is an alliance of more than 120 peace and justice organizations. The People’s March for Peace, Equality, Jobs and Justice will draw connections between the funds and resources being used to conduct a war abroad and the problems in communities here at home. The coalition will demand the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, as a first step toward ending the war on communities, and the redirecting of war funds to programs that address human needs. “Everyone who wants peace in Iraq and social and economic justice at home should participate in this march on August 25 in Newark,” said Lawrence Hamm, chairman of the People’s Organization for Progress, a member of the Peace and Justice Coalition. The People’s March will step off from Lincoln Park at Broad Street at noon, march down Broad to Central Avenue, and return to Lincoln Park for a peace and justice festival. Organizers have chosen Newark as the center of this national march to draw attention to the impact of the war in Iraq on cities here at home, and to help make visible anti-war opposition in the African-American community. Organizers also note that the march marks the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Newark riots. For more information on the coalition and the march, call 908-457-4998, e-mail peacejusticecoalition@gmail.com or visit the group’s Web site: www.peaceandjusticecoalition.org.