They came in groups of twos and threes. They came with their children, their parents and their brothers and sisters. They came with strangers to make a statement about peace and the dangers of war.
On Saturday, organizers estimated that 45,000 people met at Waterfront Park in Portland and marched shoulder to shoulder through downtown, chanting, praying and singing for peace. The rally, organized by the March 15th Alliance for Peace and Justice, which is a part of Peace and Justice Works, was one among numerous peace demonstrations occurring throughout the world on Saturday.
The theme for Portland’s mobilization was “Stop the war in Iraq and at Home: Rally for Peace in the Middle East.”
U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., was the keynote speaker at the rally. He spoke to the crowd just before the march began.
“I say to you, all of you, everyone here today — by being here today you will send a strong message to Washington and to the world,” he said. “The people around the world will not be inspired by our missiles, our bombs or our guns. They will be inspired by our ideas. We must continue to stand up and give peace a chance.”
Lewis was one of the planners and a keynote speaker at the 1963 March on Washington. Last October, he voted to oppose the House resolution authorizing military force against Iraq.
“For those who argue that war is a necessary evil, I say you are half right,” Lewis said. “War is evil. But it is not necessary. War cannot be a necessary evil, because nonviolence is a necessary good. The two cannot coexist. As Americans, as human beings, as citizens of the world, as moral actors — we must embrace the good and reject the evil.”
After Lewis finished his speech, people took to the streets. Led by children holding a large yellow banner painted with the words, “The world says no war,” the marchers formed a virtual wall of humanity that stretched for more than 15 city blocks.
Numerous volunteers and organizers traveled at the periphery of the Portland marchers, directing traffic and maintaining order.
“These are the real people of Portland,” said a woman working with the Peacekeepers. “This is just an overwhelming turnout — what a family.”
The march remained largely peaceful, with minimal police presence. At one point, a group of people waving red and black flags attempted to block the Morrison Street Bridge — one of the main thoroughfares in Portland — but they were dispersed by police without incident.
Organizers of the Portland rally said the increasing number of participants at each of the five peace rallies in Portland since Sept. 11, 2001, points to a growing movement for peace nationwide.

“The voices of 50,000 in Portland, the voices of millions in America, the voices of millions more around the world constitute more than just a ‘focus group,’” organizer David Baker said. “These voices represent the conscience of a world opposed to war.”
Around the world, organizers of peace rallies said it was important for individuals to continue to voice their opposition to the Bush administration and a war in Iraq.
“The strength of the movement has prevented a war from happening before now,” Tony Murphy, the main protest organizer for the International ANSWER coalition, said in a statement Saturday. “We feel that it’s not too late for the people to stop this war.”