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On 20 March 2003, the day after the invasion of Iraq had begun, thousands of protests and demonstrations were held around the world in opposition to it. In many cases, these protests were known as "Day X" protests, reflecting the fact that they had been organized to occur when war started, whatever day that might have been. At least 350,000 people participated. == United States == In some United States cities, including Washington, DC, Chicago, San Francisco, New York, Pittsburgh and Portland, Oregon, demonstrators blocked traffic in the city centers with the goal of shutting the cities down. In other cities, such as Boston, Atlanta, and Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, demonstrations were less confrontational. In still other cities, including Auburn, Indiana and St. Paul, Minnesota, people counter-demonstrated in support of the war. In San Francisco, well over 5,000 protesters, having planned weeks in advance to shut down the city on "Day X" as part of Direct Action to Stop the War, blockaded the Financial District resulting in 2,200 arrests. Other protesters, marching as a black bloc, attacked and looted several military recruitment centers. A Critical Mass of cyclists also attempted to block traffic to the Bay Bridge. Approximately 300 protesters demonstrated outside of the federal building. Some of the protesters apparently began vomiting on the sidewalks and plaza areas in front of the building and behind the building. Spokespeople told reporters that it was the protesters' way of saying that war in Iraq "made them sick." Seven demonstrators were arrested after attempting to block about twenty federal employees and other visitors trying to enter the building. Similarly, over 100 protesters were arrested in Philadelphia after blocking the entrances to various federal office buildings. In Chicago, a massive gathering of some 10,000 people was held at the Federal Plaza, followed by a seemingly spontaneous march up Lake Shore Drive during rush hour. The march was originally in the northbound lanes, but the march spilled into the southbound lanes also stopping traffic going both ways. At some point, marchers at the front decided to jump the dividers and head over to Michigan Avenue (the touristy Magnificent Mile). The police who had been mild-mannered until then began to get afraid of something akin to the World Trade Organization protests in Seattle in 1999 happening and started to call for back-up and block the protesters from reaching Michigan Avenue. The march was eventually blocked at Chicago Water Tower from going down Michigan Avenue. The police closed the protesters in from both sides and wouldn't let them move or leave. At this point, the group of protesters had dwindled down to 600 or so. After an hour, many protesters wanted to leave but were unable to. They began chanting things like: "Let us leave. We have to pee." Every ten minutes or so, three or four police officers would go into the crowd and beeline for a certain person (possibly those the police believed were organizers) who they would grab and arrest. The police waited until they had enough back-up and cars to haul away protesters and arrested roughly five hundred. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「20 March 2003 anti-war protest」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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